inFamous: Twisted Metal
by DarkWolf Publications
Summary: My name's Vincent. Life has always been interesting, but shit got real after my girlfriend and I escaped Curdun Cay. Now, I'm hanging out with Delsin Rowe in Seattle and fighting GOLIATH, the new and improved DUP. And of course, some idiot named Kessler is running around and blowing shit up. ON SEMI-HIATUS CAUSE I'M TOO BAKED FOR THIS RN, UPDATES BE SPORADIC AF
1. Chapter 1: Breakout

Hey guys. Welcome to the new inFamous story I'm writing. Enjoy this, and thanks for your support. You guys are literally the best. Oh, and I've re-written this opening like five times xD. ~Zeta)

Also, this is part of a larger universe that I'm writing with my pal Haru. Check out the others to get some backstory on what's going on.

The Second Kessler  
>Glass and Hellfire<br>Links are on my profile.

Chapter One

Breakout

Augustine. I don't think I've ever hated anyone more than her. I hate her more than Yankees fans hate the Red Sox. I hate her more than Lenin hated capitalism. I think I might even hate her more than Beatles fans hate Yoko Ono. And I attempted to convey this hate in my glare to the aforementioned person as she calmly gazed at me from her observation booth.

"Good morning, Vincent. How are you today?"

"Go to hell," I snapped back. "You don't care about me, so let's drop the pretense. I'll play your stupid games for another day, and you don't murder my girlfriend."

She shook her head reproachfully, like a mother scolding a child. "Vincent. I protect you. I protect all Conduits, from-"

"The outside world?" I laughed harshly, "That's a load of crap and you know it. If you were really trying to protect us, you'd teach us to use our powers at the YMCA, not in here." I raised my fists, which were both sealed in concrete, "Now get me out of these things and I'll get started."

She shook her head, "Not today, Vincent. I came today to say goodbye."  
>"So you're gonna kill me?" I tried playing it off with a smirk, but my heart was pounding. <em>Shit shit shit shit-<em>

"No. I'm leaving. A certain… situation has arisen in Seattle."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh boy, a new Conduit! If I behave while you're gone, can I get them as a cellmate?"

"You will be continually monitored," she droned on, stating the obvious. "If you even think of misbehaving, my officers will execute orders.."

"By which you mean they'll execute my girlfriend," I challenged.

She smiled again. Did I mention how much I hate her?

"You understand perfectly. I will see you upon my return." She walked away, and I tried to flip her off. My hands were still encased in concrete, but it's the thought that counts.

Fast forward about a week. Yep, still in my cell. _Eating is ridiculously difficult with these things._ I glared at one of the many cameras in the room and stuck out my tongue, mouthing _fuck you_. I wasn't prepared for the tremor that shook the building to it's roots. Nor was I prepared for pieces of the ceiling to start falling out.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK-" I jumped out of the way of a piece of concrete, barely avoiding being smashed to bits. Everywhere I looked I saw destruction, bits of Curdun Cay crashing into the floor. The ceiling was cracking and the entire prison was shaking, deep in it's roots.

_What the hell? This isn't California, we don't get earthquakes…_ I crawled under the table and tried to make myself as small as I could. Then I noticed that the table itself was cracking… and so was the concrete around my hands. _Augustine. Something's happened to Augustine._ The shaking stopped as suddenly as it began, and I tentatively crawled out from under the table. _It seems safe…_ As I stood up, I heard my concrete cuffs crackle weakly. Without hesitation, I slammed them on the table, again and again, until they finally shattered. I flexed my now-freed hands, and a smile slowly started to creep across my face. I threw my arms wide and felt my power come rushing back. It was kinda like spending all day in a dark, cold room and then stepping outside into the warm ligt of the sun. In other words, it felt great.


	2. Chapter 2: Gotta Find the Bae

I grinned like a maniac as I raced down the halls, not caring who I ran into. I'm free! I skidded down a hall, and kicked open the first door I saw.

"Stick 'em up!" I didn't give the dupes any time to react, instead flying feet-first into the first one I saw. He crumpled to the ground, and I rolled with him, snatching up his gun and bringing a rain of bullets down on his friend in the process. Tossing the gun away, I scurried over to the computer, and quickly found the infamous List.

I guess I should explain what the List is. It's a list of every Conduit, known, suspected, captured, free… it's a compilation of all the DUP's knowledge on Conduits. I typed a name into the List.

"Found you." I slammed the laptop shut, tucked it under my arm, grabbed another rifle and ran out the door. Sprinting, I took a left and almost took a few rounds to the face.

"Crap!" I ducked back behind the corner, just in time to see a concrete grenade sail by. Placing the laptop down gently, I shouldered the rifle and peeked around the corner. One of them was yelling something about an escapee into his shoulder mic, but the other two saw me. The one in front stepped forward.

"Return to your cell! If you refuse to comply, we will use force. This will be your only warning."

"Cool story, bro," I yelled back. "Now go tell it to someone who gives a shit!"

"Open fire!" Bullets flew past me, and took chunks out of the wall.

Great. I poked my rifle around and squeezed the trigger.

"Take cover!" I heard the telltale sound of a concrete wall being erected, and took that as my que. When I jumped around the corner, instead of shooting at the wall, I rushed forward, vaulted over the wall, and emptied the clip while flying through the air, upside down. I felt like a hero in a damn action movie. That is, of course, until I landed on my head.

"Son of a bitch!" Frowning, I ran back around the corner, grabbed the laptop, and continued on my merry way.

Three flights of stairs later, and a right turn, I found what I was looking for. I slung my rifle, put down the computer, and swiped an access card I had picked up earlier. The door clicked open. I threw open my arms and cracked a smile, "Glad to see me?"

My very unexpected welcome was a punch in the face. And following my unceremonious collapse onto the ground, a few shots in the stomach.

"Really?" I looked down to see my pristine white shirt riddled with bullet holes.

Andi smirked, "Had to make sure it was you." She offered a hand, and I swatted it away, rolling to my feet. She pouted, "Don't you love me anymore?"

"At the moment?" I looked up, letting my eyes wander. Her inky black hair that flowed like a river. Her cream-colored, flawless skin, the freckles I found irresistibly cute. Those purple eyes she has and a body that must've been handcrafted by god. I smiled gently, "At the moment I feel like shoving that rifle up your ass."

She laughed and threw her arms around me, "It's definitely you. Only you would get so upset about a shirt."

I hugged her back and breathed in her scent. She always smells like oranges and cloves. "It's the only one I've got. I can't fight dupes looking like a homeless guy."

"We are homeless, idiot. We met on the run, remember?" She looked up, "How did you manage to find me, anyways?"

"The List." I handed her the laptop with a grin. "You know, it's says you're only 5'7."

"Bullshit. I'm 5'9 and you know it." She took the laptop and began rapidly typing away. "You actually have a working copy of the List. Awesome."

"Yeah, I'm thinking it might come in handy." I looked down the hallway, "You wanna do that somewhere else? There's nowhere to duck and cover."I glanced back at Andi, and she had her hand over her mouth, smothering her laughter.

"What?" I tried looking at the laptop, but she just pulled it away, now laughing out loud.

"It's you! Oh my god, what is that?!" She was doubled over with laughter, so I took my chance and grabbed the laptop. I saw the picture and stared in shock. How… How did they even get this? As quickly as I could, I deleted it from the network. Andi was still laughing, tears rolling down her face.

"This was what instant regret looks like," I lamely offered. Andi put out a hand, she was laughing too hard to answer.

"Oh my god… The rainbow! It was rainbow!" She dissolved in another fit of laughter and I rolled my eyes and went back to editing my information on the List. I chose a picture where I actually looked good (thank god they had a few decent ones) and I slammed the laptop shut.

Andi wiped her eyes, "You, you… Rainbow polyester."

"You done?"

"Yeah, yeah." She chuckled a little as she got up. "Where to next?"

"According to the map?" I opened the laptop and quickly clicked on an overview of the building until I found what I was looking for. "Here." I pointed at the map and Andi raised an eyebrow.

"Storage?"

"It's where they keep our stuff. I want my stuff back."

Andi rolled her eyes at me, "By stuff you mean clothes, right?"

The sass… "My outfit was hella fly when I got in here and it's gonna be on point when we bust out." I gave her a huge grin, "Come on, let's go."

Andi rolled her eyes again, "Alright, alright. I swear, you're more of a girl than I am."

"Like hell." We started down the hall, "So how was you six months?"

"Horrible." She looked over, eyebrow raised, "What? Did you think I had tea parties with Augustine?"

"No, but I thought you two gossiped about me behind my back. You know, girl talk at the salon." I poked my head around the corner, and seeing no one, kept walking.

"She said she had some sort of death squad on you."  
>"She said the same about you." I shrugged, "I'm fine, and you're fine. She probably just used it to keep us in line."<p>

"I'm almost disappointed." She shrugged, "Killer death squad sounds like it'd be fun to fight."

"Sure it does, until you almost die." She looked over at me, and we both grinned.

Andi did that hair-flip thing I loved, "They'd be the ones almost dying."

"I agree." I looked around, "You'd think there'd be more prisoners escaping."

Screams tore the air and three dupes flew past us, impaled on barbed wire. A man advanced inside a swirling ball of barbed wire, screaming obscenities. He sliced one soldier into pieces with the flick of his wrist, and left the other two writhing in agony. And where did the very angry barbed wire man turn next? You guessed it.

"Get out of my way, or end up like them." He raised his hands toward us in an attempt to be more menacing.

I chuckled, "Sure thing, except this hallway's kinda small. How about you move?" Here we go…

He yelled, and sent swords formed from the barbed wire at me. I stretched out my hands, feeling the metal call out to me. The swords never struck me, instead dissolving into metal and flowing into my body. The return of my powers, the rush… It was intense. There was silence in the hall, and I lowered my hands. "Yeah."

The man jerked back, and the wire ball rustled uncomfortably. "You… you control metal?"

I laughed outright this time, "You can't touch me, man." I saw his eyes flick towards Andi, who probably presented an easier target, and shook my head. "Don't even think about it."

"You heard the man." Andi made shooing motion with her hands, "Move, bitch. Get out the way."

Almost reluctantly, the wire guy rolled to the right, and we passed by. I waved, and Andi blew him a kiss.

"So that went better than expected." I reached for Andi's hand and we strolled down the hall arm in arm.  
>"It's not like it would have gone badly," She pointed out with a grin. "You could absorb anything he threw at us."<p>

"Yeah," I fingered one of the bullet holes in my shirt, "but he might have cut up this shirt even more."

Andi raised an eyebrow at me, "You wouldn't mind if he cut my shirt up, though?"

I grinned, "Not really." I got a slap on the back of the head as a reply.

"You're horrible." Even as she said it, she was grinning ear to ear. "Let's get your jacket and get out already."

"You're in luck," I said, bowing before a door. "We have arrived."


	3. Chapter 3: Blow me Away

"Found it!" I hoisted my favorite jacket out of a slate-grey container.

Andi stood with her arms crossed and a bemused smile on her face, "Can we go now?"

"Sure, if you wanna miss out on all the cool goodies." I tossed away my hoodie and my shirt, and replaced it with my favorite purple and red DeadMau5 tshirt with purple-ish gray jacket and blue and black Nikes. Rooting through the box, I found my black jeans (Which were strangely cleaned), my wallet (with nothing in it) and my Decepticon belt (yeah, Autobots are for pussies.) I grabbed my pants and started changing.

"Really?" Andi rolled her eyes, "No shame."

"What? Nothing you haven't seen before. Besides," I pulled up my jeans and buckled the belt, "I don't like sweatpants." I raised my hand, and formed a slab-like metal mirror to examine myself. _Hmm… I'm about the same color as a brown paper bag… so I'm lighter than normal. Eyes are still brown, hair still curly mini-afro… My face is a little thinner than usual, probably the shitty prison food._ Satisfied, I turned around and let the mirror collapse."Okay, outfit's on point."

Andi gave an exaggerated sigh, uncrossing her arms. "So we can go now?"

"We could…" I smiled evilly, "Or we could steal everyone's stuff." I saw her eyes light up and I laughed. "Sound good?"

"Now you're talking." She hauled a case off the shelf and started rummaging through it. "We'll need money, if you can find any."

"I'll look for your stuff too," I offered as I opened more cases. "It'd help to find those ink cartridges."

"Yeah. Anything ink would be nice."

I shuffled through tons of clothes, wallets, and shoes before I found something interesting. "Here's some pens." I tossed them over, and Andi cracked and drained them, the dark ink flowing into her skin and fading. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Has it been-" She held up a hand, and I shut up. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and gave me a dreamy smile. "It's been a while."

I raised an eyebrow, "It's been a while since we've-."

She raised her hand again, cutting me off with a smile. "Let get out of here first before we start planning any extracurriculars, alright?"

I nodded, and searched through another case, finding nothing but clothes again. Sighing, I reached out and touched the metal storage rack. I sent a pulse through it, and checked every container in the room for interesting things. "Andi?"

She looked up, "Yeah?"

I grinned, "I found a secret door."

"What's behind it," She raised an eyebrow, "and how do you know that it's a door?"

"Well… It's the only metal wall in this whole place." I stood up and crossed the room, passing endless racks holding storage containers. "Now why would that be?"

Andi walked over, "So lower ranking people can't open it by accident."

I ran my fingers along the wall, "Yeah. If you weren't me, you couldn't tell that this was here." Pressing my palms against the metal, I began to absorb it, peeling back the door. Eventually I had made a hole big enough to walk through, and did, tentatively.

Andi followed me in, "This is obviously not on the map." She looked at the screen of the laptop just to be sure, then shook her head. "Nope. Could be _all _kinds of traps in here."

I looked back with a sly smile, "Ladies first?"

"Ha…" She rolled her eyes, "No."

"Onward then, I press." I put a hand to my forehead, "Into the valley of the damned, where poor unsuspecting Conduits are killed by their pushy girlfriends." Andi actually laughed, and I moved forward, down the ominously long hall. There were slots in the walls, and each of them held an item, kinda like the vault in the Thor movies. "Black Tar sample: Sasha? Who's Sasha?" I picked up the vial, and shook it. "It just looks like normal tar."

"Who's Kessler?" I turned around and saw Andi holding up a metal arm.

"A robot, apparently?" I took the arm and tried moving it around, "We can look him up on the List later." Finding that the joints were locked solid, I put the arm back. I stepped to the next slot in the wall and jumped back, "Holy shit!"

Andi rolled her eyes and walked over, "Don't be such a… Okay, what the hell is that thing?" Inside a tank was an inhuman monster with sickly grey skin. It's arms were normal until the elbow, where they widened out and became canoe shaped. It's legs were freakishly over-developed and covered in what looked like some sort of brown exoskeleton. It's face was devoid of hair and it had tentacles for a mouth. And this monstrosity was suspended in a cylindrical chamber of glass, floating in an unknown liquid.

I read the plaque at the bottom of the tank. "Corrupted. Sample obtained from New Marais. Deceased."

Andi shook her head, "Is that a Conduit?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Whatever it is, it's gross." I moved down to one of the last notches, "Hey, check this out." I picked up a backpack and read the plaque. "MacGrath's Bag. Used as a storage device for his Amplifier." I slung the bag across my back, "We're keeping this."

"So now we're not even breaking out, we're just stealing Augustine's stuff?"

"It's not really stealing—"

"You shouldn't be touching things that don't belong to you."

We whirled around to see a woman fully clad in leather. Her hair, eyes and even her skin were an eerie shade of grayish-white. She was smiling at the two of us as if she were greeting an old friend and didn't even seem phased by the monster in the tank.

"And you're here to stop us, I suppose?" Andi smirked.

"No. Not really. Well, at least not if you agree to hand over that bag and the Tar-sample. Oh and you might want to leave before I blow the place up." Her voice was strangely monotonous and echoed as if we were in a cave.

"I like this bag," I smiled, _Time to whoop some ass._ "And I wanna keep it. Soooo… if you want it, you're gonna have to come and get it." The white-haired lady's smile grew even bigger.

"I thought you'd never ask!" She flicked her wrist and, before I could react, my hands were encased in concrete. Andi's were too.

"So you're one of Augustine's lackeys." I grunted, trying to get out of the restraints, only to have more concrete sealing my feet together at the ankles.

"Hardly." She casually strolled over to me and pulled the bag off my shoulders, "Actually I'm using Terra's power from 'Teen Titans'," She pulled out a comic from a pocket in her coat and waved it in front of my face to prove her point, "it's _surprisingly _exhausting!" _As if I care._ She put the comic away and patted my cheek before grabbing the vial of Black Tar and some other stuff from different slots in the wall— including Kessler's arm and a couple of glowing, purple stones. _Aww… I wanted those stones. They looked cool. _She then pulled out a large cube of, what looked like plasticine and threw it into the centre of the room. _Wait. _ I groaned inwardly, _Fucking hell. She's gonna try and blow us up._ The woman was about to walk off when she turned back around and sighed, "If this was seven years ago, I'd definitely leave you to die here. But… I'm not like that anymore." She pulled another book out of her pocket, this one was plain black and I couldn't see the title. She opened it up to a random page and held it up in the air. A flash of white. Then blood-red. And then a shrill scream of pure horror. _Shit… that's Andi screaming._

"ANDI!"

Next thing I know, the two of us are outside the gigantic doors of Curdun Cay.

"What in the hell just happened?" Andi turned to me, her face deathly pale.

"Are you okay?" I reached out and pulled her into a tight hug.

"You were screaming," she mumbled. "I'd never heard you in that much pain."

"I wasn't…That woman must've messed with our heads". _What the hell type of power was that, anyways?_

Andi hugged me even tighter, "I thought you…" she buried her head in my shoulder and squeezed me tightly. I sighed and we just stood there, with the world's most advanced prison crumbling behind us. I waited a few moments for Andi to pull herself to together. After some time, she looked up, and dried her eyes. "I'm fine, you idiot." She gave me a weak smile, "Let's just get out of here." I nodded, and kept my arm around her shoulder as we headed out. I had hardly taken a few steps before I kicked something lying on the floor. It was MacGrath's bag. And a note attached. Andi pulled it off and read it out aloud.

"_I've got everything I needed from the bag.  
>I've left $2000 and your laptop inside. There's also a blueprint for something I thought you might like.<em>

_I hope I didn't damage your ego too much._

_Well… you never stood a chance anyway.  
>Sorry about that little experience, the only book that would have worked was a horror book.<em>

_Nothing personal._

_Alice in Wonderland."_

"Alice in wonderland?" I mused out loud. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

Andi crumpled up the note and hurled it away. "Means she's a crazy bitch."

I smiled and kissed Andi's forehead. "You're right. Let's go, I betcha I can hotwire a DUP truck."

"Thank god," She sniffed, and started walking towards the vehicle depot, "Because I'm sure as hell not walking to Seattle."


	4. Chapter 4: Iron Sand

**Author's Note: I use the word faggot a lot in this chapter, so be aware. I'm not intolerant or anything. It was actually Haru who put most of those in, and it's not intended to be homophobic. Also, shoutout to all the Kiwi's who've read this fic so far.**

I drove down the highway, on the road to Seattle. Andi stared out the window, we hadn't hardly said a word since that bitch Alice did… whatever it was she did. I reached over and squeezed her knee, "Hey. You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah." She looked over and gave me a soft smile, "You want me to drive? It's been hours."

"Eh, I think I can suffer through. Besides, it's pretty around here." We were driving on a road completely surrounded by trees with red, yellow, and orange leaves that gently drifted down. I had the window open, and the only sound I could hear besides the engine was the rustle of leaves we drove through. _Fall is my second favorite season._ I looked at our fuel gauge, _Yep, still empty._ That was the real reason I needed to stay awake. My powers were the only thing keeping this hunk of metal rolling, at least until we found a gas station. Then we could steal a car that would be slightly less conspicuous, and ditch it when we got to Seattle. "Hey, Andi?"

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes, and turned to face me, yawning.

"Nevermind. Go back to sleep."

She grumbled about "not being able to sleep if you keep bothering me" and curled up in her seat.

I smiled and turned around. Then I noticed the black bag in the back seat. _What the hell? _I reached over and unzipped it. Inside was a large painting; in the middle was some origami chick, a particularly thin looking nerd and... the Queer Scotsman?! Augustine was there (for some reason). I was half tempted to toss the painting out the back, but I decided to have some fun with it first...

* * *

><p>A few more hours and my eyes were starting to close on their own. The fact that I had to keep the truck rolling was starting to drain me. Luckily, before I fell asleep and sent us hurtling towards our doom, we found a gas station. I gently shook Andi awake, "Hey, get up."<p>

"No." She tried to scoot away, but I persisted, and was rewarded with a grumpy Andi as we made our way inside the dingy AMPM. She headed to the bathroom and I started grabbing bags of beef jerky (for me) and some crappy gas station burgers (for Andi). I also grabbed two cases (48 cans) of Arizona Iced Tea. I dumped all this on the counter in front of the somewhat bewildered cashier.

"And you're sure that's all?" He asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose..

"Actually…" I grabbed two cases of water and toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss. "Gotta love convenience, right?"

He started ringing all the goodies up, and I noticed there was a printer behind the counter. "Uh… You got any ink in that printer?"

He just stared at me. "What?"

"Any ink? Or, uh, extra ink?"

The cashier smiled bemusedly and shook his head, "You wanna buy that too?"

I leaned on the counter, "I'll give you a hundred bucks for all your cartridges."

"Deal." He handed me four cartridges, "The food is ninety-eight sixty-five. You wanna gas up your…" He trailed off as he saw the DUP truck parked outside. he looked at me, the truck and back to me.

I raised my hands, "Look, we don't want any trouble-"

"What trouble?" He shrugged, "No trouble here. You just paid for your food and your gas and left." He tapped some keys on the register and cleared our purchases. He also held out a set of car keys.

"You serious?" I asked, looking at the keys.

"Yep. Trade?"

I tossed him the keys from the truck, "You sure you wanna drive that thing around?"

"Are you kidding?" He laughed, "That truck looks like a beast."

I shrugged, and turned around to see Andi coming out of the bathroom. "Hey princess." I tossed her the cartridges, "Help me carry this stuff to the car." I dangled the keys.

She raised an eyebrow and picked up some stuff.

"Orange mustang," The guy yelled as we left the store. When I saw it, I almost dropped my armful of tea. "No way…"

It was a rusty, old 69 Mustang Boss 429. I opened the trunk with a flick of my hand, and we deposited all the food.

"You gonna give it the workover?" Andi asked as she closed the trunk.

"Yep." I closed my eyes, and laid my hands on the car. I send a pulse of metal along the body, removing the rust flakes and eventually replacing every metal part, so it was basically brand new. Stepping back, I admired my work. I looked over at Andi, "Your turn."

She nodded, and absorbed the ink from the cartridges. I moved aside as she placed her hands on the car. Orchid purple ink flowed over the car, covering it completely. Then she stepped to the side, spraying neon blue dragons, entwined with gold and white lilies, on each door. Stepping to the hood, she let the ink flow, forming a white hawk with a blue crest across it's chest. "Ready."

"Can you do that to the truck?" We turned around and saw the cashier.

Andi shrugged, "Sure."

Five minutes later, We were driving away, munching on beef jerky and burgers, and the awesome cashier had a sick paintjob.

"That was so cash," Andi said with a smile as she sped down the road.

"Damn straight." I munched on my jerky and sipped my tea, "Make a left up ahead."

"Aye aye, Captain." She slammed the wheel to the left and I almost spilled my tea.

"Calm down, Tokyo Drift! I'm eating here."

Andi just laughed and cranked up the radio. "Come on! You want me to go slow in _this_ car?" She slapped the clutch and shifted up a gear.

"No, I just don

t wanna spill my drink!" I chugged the last tea and absorbed the can.

"Stop whining," She said with a grin.

"Screw you." I reached over and pinched her butt, and she squealed and slapped my hand. I laughed and unbuckled my seat belt, sliding across the car to give her a kiss.

"Stop it!" She laughed and tried pushing me away, "I'm driving!"

"Then pull over!" I slid my hands under her shirt and kissed her on the cheek. Laughing, she made it to the side of the road, and I pressed up against the side of the car, kissing her and biting her lip, like she loved.

She smiled but shook her head. "You don't have any condoms, stud."

I said nothing, but instead produced an entire box from my jacket.

Andi's eyes widened. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that."

"So…"

She smiled, "So what are you waiting for?"

I leaned forward and kissed her again.

* * *

><p>Andi was practically purring as she pulled her shirt back on. "That's the best I've felt in a long time."<p>

"Six months," I reminded her as I buckled my belt.

"Mmm, it feels like an eternity." She draped her arms around my shoulders and kissed me, pushing me back into my seat. "Stay there this time, or we'll never get to Seattle."

I shrugged and blew her a kiss, "No promises."

"Ha ha." She pointed at me, and black ink swirled around her finger, "I'm serious. You come over here again and I _will_ blast you unconscious."

"Alright, alright." I tore open another bag of beef jerky and started eating, "Drive on."

Andi slammed on the gas, and we raced down the road.

"We're not that far aways anyway." I opened the laptop and brought up a map, "Like six miles to the first bridge."

"Really? How far have we come since then?"

"Uhh… Twenty miles, or around there." I shoved more beef jerky in my mouth and cracked open another can of tea, taking a swig.

Andi frowned, "I don't know how you can eat that."

"Practice." I smiled and took another swig of the beef jerky/tea combo.

And then the earthquake hit. Iced tea, beef jerky and saliva _everywhere_. Seriously… not nice. I suddenly regretted not buckling up when my body was thrown into Andi's and the car swerved off the road. It took a while to realise that the reason that Andi's hair was standing on up was because the car had upturned. Shit… the only person who I could think of that could have caused an earthquake is Augustine. _Fuck that…_ I kicked out a window, "Andi! Get out, come on! _I'm sure as hell not going back to that shit hole._

Andi unbuckled and crawled out her side, "You got beef-tea spit all over me!" I looked over, _Shit._ Her shirt was drenched with tea and little chunks of jerky. _Well, on the negative side, she might kill me before Augustine. On the plus, wet t-shirt!_

And just when I thought that an earthquake was the most surprising event of the day… an old friend decided to pay a visit. _Well,_ I thought, _at least it wasn't Augustine._ I smiled, _It's the Queer Scotsman! _I rolled out of the hole that had once been a window and stood up with a playful smirk on my face. I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled at the top of my lungs,"HEY FAGGOT!"

Edward returned my smirk with his own and created a Glass sword in one hand and a trident in the other, "I'm gonna enjoy ripping your head off."

"Andi," I said, "Toss me the bag."

"Why?"

"The blueprint thingy. Trust me." She nodded and threw it to me from the car. Unzipping it, I pulled out some folded papers, and shook them out. _Holy shit, she DID give me the Demon's weapon._ Raising my right hand, I carefully began to construct what the blueprint called an 'Amp' _Hmm, it's a little long… I don't like two handed weapons,_ "Andi, hold him off for a few seconds." I started to create the weapon by using metal that I had absorbed earlier but I tweaked it a little; I shortened the handle and looked at the design again, _What if I made it so it could fold? _Instead of the straight design, I put two prongs and attached them each to a movable, circular joint on the side. _Alright. Now for some style. _I ran my hand along the slender base and etched the word _Rebellion _into the handle. _Close enough. I can finish this later._

"VINCE! QUIT JERKING IT TO YOUR NEW TOY AND HELP!" I snapped to attention. Andi was lying on the ground a few feet away and her hands were bound together with glowing-green, Glass restraints _Oh, yeah. Queer Scotsman is still here._ I folded the blueprints and looked over, "Hey, I thought you were gay!" I launched myself towards Edward with a pillar of metal, similar to the DUP's concrete launch, "Hands off my GF!" I swung my Amp towards his head but he blocked it with his trident. Still, cracks spread across the Glass handle and a few bits chipped off. _Holy shit._ I threw up my left hand and fired metal shrapnel right at his face, while swinging the Amp again at his trident. This time, his weapon shattered. The shrapnel threw him back a few feet but he didn't look as hurt as I would've liked. _Great_. "There's more where that came from, ya fooking bloke." I laid on the accent thick. "I'll have eu know I'm the sickest bloke around," I drawled, "I dropped out o' Newcastle primary and I've nicked over 300 globbernaughts from the corner store, If eu think you can take me I'll get me boys and we'll 'ave a proper rumble that'll make eur nan sore jus' hearin' about it."

"I… You… YOU-WHAT!?" His face went bright red.

"Eu 'eard me, Bruv. I'll fookin' waste eu." _Oh, my god, I might die._ I was trying not to laugh, but a smile was fighting it's way onto my face. "Eu won't see me comin' mate, I'ma ninja—" I would have loved to carry on but he rudely cut me off with a fist in my face. I stumbled back, clutching my nose, and something hard hit me in the stomach— forcing me to double over. I couldn't hold back anymore, and started uncontrollably laughing, despite my broken nose, making the Queer's face even more red. Scarlet even. I set my nose in place so that it'd heal properly and wiped tears of mirth from my eyes. Before he could react, I flipped to my feet, launched backwards, and fired two Metal rockets directly at him. He raised his hands and created a Glass cocoon around himself, absorbing all the damage. I smiled in the corner of my mouth, _You won't get away that easily. _Slamming a fist into the ground, I channelled energy towards the cocoon. Metallic tentacles ripped out of the road and wrapped around the cocoon. I squeezed my hand into a fist and the tendrils tightened, shattering his construct.

But he wasn't there. _Fucking hell._ I immediately myself launched into the air, _I might have to use Iron Sand, he's quicker than he looks… But where is he? _I created a floating disk of metal to keep me suspended in the air as I quickly surveyed the area.

"Lookin' for me?" I whirled around to face the voice… but he wasn't there. Only two spiky balls of Glass that were gently bobbing up and down in the air and slowly making their way towards me. _Pffft!_ I shot a piece of shrapnel towards one. _Even if they're mines, the explosion shouldn't be too bad. _Well, that was a big mistake! The explosion was more powerful than it had any right to be, throwing me straight off my metal disc and sending me hurtling towards the ground. On my jolly way down I noticed that the explosion had also torn my t-shirt to strips. _That's it!_ I threw my arms outward, and black, sand-like particles swarmed around them. Using my thrusters, I floated to the ground. "Come on, you faggot! Show your little bitch face!"

"Gladly." I turned around, this time to see a glass-encased fist flying towards my face. I smirked, and simply flicked my wrist. The sand-metal enveloped his fist and his hand froze, inches away from my face. I spun my hand, and the sand swirled around the hardened glass, shredding it in seconds. Faggot's look of surprise was priceless. I raised my other hand, and shot a spike of iron sand directly at his stomach. Instead of a few feet, he flew across the road and into the woods. When he hadn't got out twenty seconds later, I launched myself straight up into the air and fired a rocket, which was three huge spikes revolving around each other. The resulting explosion cut a huge swath in the woods, and I let myself fall back to the ground.

"And that's how the Scottish faggot died happily ever after." I said as if I was reading the end of a fairytale.

I was still using Iron Sand when the three blindingly orange rockets flew out of the woods, all aimed with deadly precision. Instead of backpedaling or jumping out of the way I shot rockets straight out of the sky— they showered the ground with molten glass but were way too far to hurt me. I used the sand particles to propel me forwards, heading for the source. And then it kicked in. Iron sand took a lot of metal to maintain… and my reserves were almost up. _Fuck. _I crashed to the ground, and was barely able to launch myself back at the car. I slammed into the side, "Andi, help me flip this, we gotta go!"

"What the hell do you think I've been trying to do?" She had her hands under the car, "It's a _car! _It's heavy as hell!"

I reached under, "One, two three, pull!" We flipped the car with a resounding crash, and I barely had enough time to congratulate myself on opening the metaphorical pickle jar before someone tapped me on the shoulder. _Fuck._ I spun around, and made a very bad choice, deciding _not_ to shoot a rocket at whoever it was.

It was the Scottie. He had a nasty purple bruise on one cheek but it was fading before my eyes, "That last hit hurt quite a bit." He raised his hand and small shards of glass floated above it. They joined together to make half a dozen weirdly-shaped blades. No, not blades. Letters. '_Look up_' they read. Instead of looking up, I grabbed the Scot's face with both hands. _Hail mary time._ I tried to discharge a rocket directly into his face. Well, I guess I should have taken his advice and looked up. Because I totally missed the giant glass boulder hovering above me. Luckily for me, I have an awesome girlfriend who just _loves_ saving my life. Andi laughed as she threw her hand up, and cut the boulder neatly in half with a pulse of ink. Unfortunately for me, I was under one of those halves and got to see the boulder fall straight at me. The last thing I saw was Andi giving me a look that said, _Come on! You just ruined that badassery. _The great thing about being in a relationship with someone is that you learn to read their facial expressions. I contemplated this as I sunk into an inky blackness.

Heyyo! Want some background on the scottie? Check out Glass and Hellfire. Link on my profile.


	5. Chapter 5: Arrival

Drifting through unconsciousness, I woke to see a hand cloaked in glowing red energy pointed at me. I followed the arm up to the face of the owner. _Holy crap_. "You're the guy in the painting with the Queer Scotsman and Origami chick."

He looked surprised, "I painted that."

I started laughing as my vision grew hazy and I passed out again. This time I woke up in the seat of the car, with Andi staring out the window. "Urgh." I sat up, head in my hands. "What the hell happened?"

"You passed out, you idiot." She turned to look at me, "What the hell were you thinking? Using iron sand with no metal in sight?" She kicked the floor of the car, "You almost got yourself killed!"

I reached over, "Hey, I'm sorry-"

"No you're not!" She swatted away my hand and refused to look at me. "You do stupid stuff like this all the time!"

_Well, she's not wrong._ I retracted my hand and just curled into my seat, searching for something else to say. "So… Why aren't we moving?"

"The bridge is busted. The only other one has too much traffic, and the car is on it's last legs, so I drove us here and waited for you to wake up." She sniffed, "I figured you could float us across."

I nodded, "Yeah, I could." I opened the door, and noticed that it was badly dented in. "What happened?"

Andi sighed, "Edward got backup. Some kid named Jace, who apparently can destroy bonds between atoms."

"The painting guy?" I raised my hands, and the car creaked and groaned as I began floating us across the river.

"Yeah." She stuck her head out the window, "Where did you hide that anyways?"

"In the spare tire slot." I wobbled a bit, but managed to keep it steady.

"You hid _the painting_ in the tire slot? That thing is practically a DaVinci and you stored it with a dirty tire..." She shook her head, "You've got no respect for art."

"I have plenty of respect for art. But only for art that isn't made by people trying to kill me." We were halfway across the river, but my vision was starting to go hazy. The car started to drop, and I strained, raising my arms and forcing the car to float higher. "So, you actually got away alive?"

"That's what's funny." I saw her start combing her hair, "They actually let me go. The painting guy, who by the way is called Jace, told me to get you and go."

"Really? And the Queer-" The car dropped a few feet but I caught it before it fell too much. "Edward let you walk away?"

"I don't think he could have stopped Jace…" She reached inside for a brush, and continued with her hair. "You sure you can make it?"

"Yeah. I can do it." I grunted, forcing the car forward. As soon as we were over land, I let the car drop, exhausted. I rolled off the roof and hit the pavement. _Need… metal…_ Luckily, there were other cars in sight, which I quickly stripped of metal.

"So… You leave the hubcaps, the tires, and the interior." Andi sat down next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek, "It's a good thing those don't cost too much."

I rolled my eyes, "Hey, maybe I should redo the metalwork on the car."

"Don't push yourself." I felt her start kneading my shoulders, "You just fought an epic battle and levitated a car over a river. I think you should relax."

I leaned into the massage, "Relax, huh? Shouldn't we… get somewhere safe? You know, not the middle of a street?"

"Car's pretty much busted," Andi admitted. "I'm surprised I was able to drive it away." She hit a nerve and I whimpered. Despite DUP slaying, ass-kicking, and all around badassery, Andi still gave amazing massages that melted me into a pool of butter.

"What the hell happened to my car?!" I looked over to see a middle-aged hispanic man (with briefcase and three-piece suit) Looking at the spot where his lexus used to sit. It took him all of two seconds to notice us and funnel his rage in our direction. "Did you two see who did this?"

I shook my head, grinning. "No sir." His face only grew more red, and he pointed an accusing finger.

"You did it. You're one of those freaks, Aren't you?" He whipped out a cellphone, "I'm calling the DUP."

I burst out laughing, "Good luck, buddy." This seemed only to incense him, as he angrily jabbed the phone and held it up to his ear. "Hello? I'd like to report conduit activity-" He stopped mid-sentence, and his face fell noticeably. "What the hell? The number has been disconnected?" He redialed, and I practically saw steam coming out of his ears when he got the same response. He angrily glared at us, "What did you do?"

I rolled my eyes, "Just like you normal people. Blame the first innocent conduit you see for your problems." I got to my feet and placed my hand on my car, and began redoing the metalwork, filling out the dents, and replacing the entire chassis. _At least the engine is fine._ I stepped back to admire my work. _Shiny._

Andi sighed, "Now I have to do the paint job again."

"You ARE conduits!"

I turned around, "Really? You're just now getting this?" He looked like he was about to reply, but he blanched and took a step back. Then, he turned around and ran into his house. A faint, strange sound filled the air, and I turned to see what looked like a pink stream of light heading in out direction. "What the heck?" The noise got louder and I squinted, trying to make out what seemed to be… _A person? A conduit that controls light?_

"That's definitely a person," Andi agreed, stepping forward.

I turned to look at her, "But… I didn't say anything."

She just smirked at me, "I can read you like a book, you know."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the light had reached us, jumping up and off a building before landing in front of us. The pink faded, and I saw who it was. He had long black hair that was hidden beneath a light red beanie, and brown eyes that practically glowed with had on a jean vest, black jacket, plaid shirt and black pants. His sneakers were black and white, and I noticed he had a chain wrapped around his wrist, which also sported tattoos. He clapped his hands together with a smile, "So, you're the new conduits in town?"

I snorted, "What makes you think that?"He shrugged and grinned, "I don't know, uh, maybe the fact that I just watched you fly a car across the river? Cool power, whatever it is. You think I could…" He reached out, "Borrow it?"

Immediately I snatched my hand away and moved back a few steps. "Like hell," I snapped. "You're another one of those damn Empaths, aren't you?"

"A what?"

I rolled my eyes. "Someone who can absorb more than one power. The last guy I knew burned out."

Deslin leaned away from me, "Burned out?"

"He tried absorbing three powers at once and literally exploded." I winced, "Not a pretty sight." Delsin now looked very unsure whether he should touch me or not. "Exploded. Huh. Well," he began again, "I wouldn't want to explode."

I rolled my eyes, "Just grab my hand already. Worst comes to worst we level a few city blocks."

"A _few_?" Andi exclaimed, "Oh no. You're waiting till I'm a _few_ blocks away before you try something this colossally stupid." She looked at both of us, "What?"

Delsin and I shared a look. "Is she always like this?" He asked.

"Ehh, no," I shrugged, "She's usually more relaxed. But, then again, I did almost get myself killed today. She's pissed."

Delsin chuckled, "I know that feel, bro. Fetch has been pissed at me before…" He whistled, "And let's just say I _wish_ I could have slept on the couch." Now that made me snort with laughter.

"I hear you, bro." I reached out and slapped him five.

* * *

><p>"Well that was unexpected." I looked at my hand, over to Delsin, and then back to my hand.<p>

He was looking at his hand as well, confused. "At least we didn't level a few city blocks."

"So, wait." Andi looked between the both of us with a bewildered expression on her face; "You two just touched… and no explosion?"

"No explosion," We said at the same time. I looked up, "Is it wrong that I'm a little disappointed?"

"No, no." He shrugged, " I mean, unless you're disappointed that we didn't blow up the city."

I frowned slightly, "I was at least hoping for sparks."

Delsin tilted his head and rubbed his temples,"Maybe it's... prolonged contact?" I shrugged, and we reached out and awkwardly grasped each other's hands. We just sort of held hands for a bit, and I shrugged. "Not working."

Delsin shook his head, "No, no it's not." We let go, and Andi gave a longing sigh. "It's too bad," she said with a borderline dreamy smile, "You guys would make a hot couple." I facepalmed, and Delsin put his hand on my shoulder, "Women."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>So apparently Delsin's got one hell of a kickass mansion. It has a garage, thank god, so we parked the car inside. There's three floors. <em>Three floors.<em> Fuck mansions, this is a palace as far as mansions go. There's literally everything and anything you could want here: Traning room, rec room, game room, home theater, bedrooms (with door locks, _DOOR LOCKS!_), indoor pools, two fully stocked kitchens and so much more. I got to meet Fetch who made delicious eggs with her lasers. Apparently they just recieved this place as a "gift".

"A gift?"

"Yep." She was blasting a skillet full of eggs with lasers, "Some "mysterious benefactor" just gave us the keys." She looked over with a smirk and shrugged, "I sure as hell wasn't gonna complain."

"Damn straight." I was spread out on a couch, legs dangling over the end, and with an earbud in, listening to Steel Drum. "Some random person wants to not only give me a mansion, but pay all the bill and keep it stocked with food? I'm one-hundred percent down."

"That's exactly what I said. They even got the hookup on some very koality chowder." I could literally hear the "koa" in her "quality". I suppressed a laugh and settled on a grin, "So, would you say that their _chowdah_ is very _koality_?"

She looked up from her eggs and brandished her spatula in my direction, "I don't talk like that."

I just offered her my most innocent smile, "Sure."

"Listen up. My eggs are pretty damn good." She resumed blasting said eggs with lasers while waving her spatula at me, "I'd go far enough to say they're damn amazing. I don't cook that often, because I'm not a goddamn housewife. I got enough on my plate cleanin' up dealers." She flipped the eggs before continuing, "No one's making me share my eggs. I choose to do so out of the kindness of my heart. So can can take your shitty accent and shove it up your ass."

I clasped my hands over my heart, "Abigail, such language!" I pretended to swoon on the couch.

She smiled back and dished up the eggs onto two plates. "Eggs are ready." I jumped up off the couch and scrambled to pull out a chair at the table. Fetch laughed, "Despite all that talk, you want the eggs pretty bad, huh?"

"I'm hungry." Without waiting, I began shoveling eggs into my mouth by the forkload. Let me tell you, those eggs are the best I've ever had. "Oh my god," My eyes widened, "PleasefeedmetheseeverydayuntilyouhavetocallanambulancebecauseIOD'donyourdivineeggs."

Fetch smirked, "So, you like em?" I nodded enthusiastically before shoving more of the heavenly food into my mouth, causing her to laugh. "Well kid," she reached over and ruffled my hair, which would normally prompt a punch in the face, "You're all right."

I finished the eggs and gave her hand a good-natured slap, "Don't touch the hair."

"Why not? It's an afro. I can't mess up an afro." She reached out, but I batted her hand away again.

"It has nothing to do with messing it up."

"Oh?" Fetch leaned forward, "What is it then?"

"Honestly?" I shrugged, "It's one of my kinks. Any sort of playing with my hair is a turn on."

Fetch chuckled, "Good to know I'm not the only one."

"What?"

"What?"

Awkward silence reigned in the room, and I cleared my throat; "So, you said you kill drug dealers?"

"Yeah! Yeah, drug dealers, I kill them, yeah…" Fetch was twirling some hair around a finger, "Uh, Why?"

"Do they have money?" I stretched out a hand, and my amp (attached to my bag) floated over to me.

"Yeah, yeah, lots of money…" She looked up, "I'm guessing we should go get some?"

"It would help, yeah.

* * *

><p>I was perched on the edge of a building, Fetch right next to me. We were watching a group of men in tracksuits, standing around and smoking next to a blue Civic. "You <em>sure<em> they're dealing drugs?"

"Did you not see the duffel bag full of cash?" She was fiddling with a necklace, which seemed to be made out of neon jewels that kept changing colors.

I sighed, "So why not just steal the cash?"

"Cause then we won't blow up the drugs."

I opened my mouth just as a stereotypically nondescript white truck pulled up and backed into the alley. They began unloading bricks of green, and I unsheathed my amp. "Party time." Jumping off the edge, I dove towards the ground, swing my amp at it as soon as I made contact. The concrete cracked, and metal surged outwards in all directions, throwing tracksuits across the street and down the alley. Fetch landed lightly beside me in a flow of blue neon light. "You really take all the fun outta this, you know."

I sheathed my amp and shrugged, "Can I help that I'm efficient?"

She laughed and tore open the trunk of the Civic and tossed me the bag of cash. "All yours, big guy." I caught it with a smile, and opened it to see stacks on stacks of one hundred dollar bills. I gave Fetch the thumbs up, and she turned her attention to the truck. "Time to set it ablaze."

"Woah,woah!" I jumped in front of the truck. "You are not burning _all_ of this."

Fetch looked surprised, "Why not?"

"It's weed, man!" I hopped into the truck and peeled back some saran wrap on a brick and gave it a sniff. "And it's dank as hell!" I unzipped the duffel bag and began stuffing bricks inside. "Wasting weed, man… wasting weed."

Fetch looked skeptical as I struggled to zip the bag shut. "Are you really gonna smoke all of that?"

"Not all at once." I shrugged, "I'm from California, so I did have easy access in high school." I looked around at the rest of the truck, which was all bricks of white powder, "You know, it's funny. Didn't this state just legalize weed?"

"Uh, I think so." Fetch looked antsy, "Come on, let's just torch this stuff."

"Alright." I hopped out of the truck, "Care to do the honors?"

"With pleasure." She charged up a ball of Neon between her hands, then let it fly into the truck, completely annihilating the contents. I smiled, raised my hand, and slapped her five, as we started walking away. Fetch ran up the side of a building, and waited for me as I launched myself upwards. "That was fun."

I grinned, "Yeah, it was."

She seemed to relax, and let out a laugh, "And it definitely helped me forget about the hair thing."

I facepalmed, "And you just reminded me." In response, she gave me a friendly slug on the shoulder and grinned, "Ah, it's not all bad. At least we can confide in each other about our kinks now, right?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I liked you better when you were threatening to kill me over eggs." I got a laugh for a response. She then looked at my duffel bag, at me, then back to the duffel bag.

"You're not really gonna smoke all of that, right?"  
>"I'm gonna try, Abi." I thrust my hands in my pockets and strolled along the roof like a cowboy, ducking under her fist in response to being called Abi. "I'm gonna try."<p> 


	6. Chapter 6: The Day After

I looked up at the ceiling and exhaled smoke. On my way back "home", I picked up a vape with an herb chamber and an oil chamber. It was the next day, and there's nothing better than a celebratory wake and bake. I felt like I was swimming through molasses when I raised my arm to break off some more of a brick when Andi came in. She saw the duffel bag, full of weed and money. She sat down next to me, reached for my vape, and took a long hit. She exhaled, and closed her eyes in pleasure. "So you hung out with Fetch."

"How'd you know?"

"She busts drug dealers." She pointed to the bag, "And that's where you got the cash and the kush." We both started laughing, for no reason.

"Cash and Kush sounds like a rap group," I said in-between bursts of laughter. Andi was bent over double.

"But with a K! A K!" We both started chanting, "Kash and Kush! Kash and Kush!" before dissolving into another fit of laughter. Andi started tracing star patterns on my leg, "Oh my god, I'm a lightweight." She took another hit, and I watched as she held her breath. When she finally exhaled, her eyes were completely bloodshot. "Whoa…"

"You guys busy?" Delsin poked his head in the room, coughed, and pulled his shirt up over his nose.

"No, no. We're good." I stood up, wobbly, "What's up?"

"Uh, dupes. We're gonna hit a huge station they've got around here." He saw me wobbling, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"He's fine." Andi stood up, using the bed as support, "He just needs metal to flush it from his system." She just drained the bedsheets of all color, fixed her hair and grabbed my bag for me. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>One set of silverware later, we were making our way to the other side of the city. I launched up and over a building, "So what's the deal?"<p>

"We're going to meet Eugene," Delsin answered, as he launched using his concrete. I followed, wondering what this Eugene would be like. I didn't expect an angel the size of a small building to rise up in front of me.

"WHY HAVE YOU CALLED UPON HE WHO DWELLS?!" The angel boomed, spreading his arms and looking like he was about to rain fiery justice down upon us.

Delsin laughed, "Eugene, you can drop the angel act." The angel shimmered away, and was replaced with a nerd in a hoodie.

"Is that a Heaven's Hellfire t-shirt?" I asked.

"Uh, y-yeah." he pushed his glasses up, "D-do you play?"

"Pfft. Do I play? Do _I_ play?" I crossed my arms, "I'm the proud owner of a level 59 Warlock, subclass Starwalker, with a full set of prismatic starlight gear and Astialoth's Promethean Spear. I led the guild OverClock3D and it was amazing."

"No way!" Eugene's eyes grew wide, "You're LunarFlight?"

I nodded with a smile, "Damn right. The dupes took my gaming rig, though." I shrugged, "I haven't had time to rebuild. I'm pretty sure everyone's forgotten about me in six months."

"Pretty sure? Your disappearance was one of the greatest mysteries _in_ Heaven's Hellfire." He rubbed his hands together eagerly, "We gotta get you set back up-"

"Eugene?" Delsin interrupted with a smile on his face. "Dupes."

"R-right. Sorry."

"He's freaking adorable," Andi whispered. "I just wanna squeeze him!" She squealed softly.

"What about me?" I protested.

"You?" She smirked, "I don't think we should be publicly discussing the things I want to do to you." She winked and ruffled my hair. I caught Fetch looking at me with a _What the Fuck_ expression on her face, and I shrugged.

"Okay, now that we're all here," Delsin began, pausing for dramatic effect, "We're basically gonna go in and blow stuff up until nothing left is explodable. Got it?"

"Sounds good, Chief." I saluted, "So where is this place where we need to blow stuff up?"

Delsin pointed left, "Thataway. It's covered in concrete and yellow, can't miss it. See ya there." He dashed off in smoke, leaving the rest of us to follow. Eugene jumped off the building and became the Angel, Fetch chased after Delsin in a flow of blue neon, I launched myself and Andi flowed artfully along with me, flying into the air with a trail of ink.

"So this is just cleanup, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Since Augustine's no longer around, the DUP's falling apart. You did talk to Delsin while I was gone, right?"

"Yeah." We ran and jumped to the next building, and I used my steel thrusters to give myself a boost, "He took her down by himself… but he used two powers to beat her." I frowned, "He cheated."

She laughed, "It's alright, you almost had her."

"Stupid bitch hit me in the back of the head with a boulder," I muttered as I launched again.

Andi cracked a smile at my resentment, "You win some, you lose some." She looked ahead and smiled, "Here's your chance to get some payback." I looked forward and saw four giant concrete spires, rising towards the sky. _Alrighty then._ I stopped just before the gates, and put in my earbuds. Prayer of the refugee by Rise Against queued up, and I raised my hand to fire a rocket as soon as the first note hit.

_Warm yourself by the fire, son,  
>And the morning will come soon.<br>I'll tell you stories of a better time,  
>In a place that we once knew.<em>

I ran forward and launched into the air, firing a rocket at a guard tower, completely destroying it.

_Before we packed our bags  
>And left all this behind us in the dust,<br>We had a place that we could call home,  
>And a life no one could touch.<em>

I fired shrapnel left and right, taking out dupes. I fired a rocket and blew up two apc's while launching toward one of the concrete towers.

_Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<em>

Landing on the tower, I ignored the bullets flying into my body and ran to the middle, where I wrenched the core from the middle of the communications unit, and blasted it till it exploded. I quickly absorbed the energy from the blast and the resulting shards, then launched to the next tower.

_Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<em>

I caught a rocket in midair and was thrown sideways. _Great, another shirt ruined._ Dodging bullets and concrete grenades, I pulled out my Amp and launched forward, clubbing dupes left and right.

_Down!_

I slid under a robed Commander, knocking him into the air, and quickly spun around to whack him in the back with the Amp. After flying a short distance, the charged shrapnel I'd attached to his back exploded.

_We are the angry and the desperate,  
>The hungry, and the cold,<br>We are the ones who kept quiet,  
>And always did what we were told.<em>

"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARDS!" Sheathing my Amp, I threw both hands above my head.

_But we've been sweating while you slept so calm,  
>In the safety of your home.<br>We've been pulling out the nails that hold up  
>Everything you've known.<em>

Everything metal started flying in my direction. Bullets, vehicles, armor. It all began to swirl above my head in a huge vortex.

_Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<br>Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<em>

I let loose a ferocious yell and sen the scrap tornado flying directly at the troop quarters, carving a swath through any opposition.

_So open your eyes child,  
>Let's be on our way.<br>Broken windows and ashes  
>Are guiding the way.<em>

I watched as the tornado tore through one of the concrete towers, reducing it to rubble. _Huh. I didn't even know I could do that._

_Keep quiet no longer,  
>We'll sing through the day,<br>Of the lives that we've lost,  
>And the lives we've reclaimed.<em>

I watched as another tower exploded in a burst of light, and saw Fetch and Andi run out of the dust.

_Go!_

Another tower exploded in a plume of smoke and video, as Delsin and Eugene left the scene.

_Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<em>

I started advancing towards the center, jumping left and right and firing rocket after rocket.

_Don't hold me up now,  
>I can stand my own ground,<br>I don't need your help now,  
>You will let me down, down, down!<em>

I slammed my fist into the ground and sent a pulse of metal spikes, skewering any dupes that remained close. Jumping, I met up with Andi and we spun around in a dance of death, firing ink and shrapnel, with Andi swinging her fists and myself swinging my Amp. We began to enclose the dupes in a circle, with smoke, video, neon, metal, and ink combining in a symphony of destruction.

_Don't hold me up...  
>(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)<br>Don't hold me up...  
>(I don't need your help)<br>No! No! No!  
>Don't hold me up!<br>(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)  
>Don't hold me up!<br>(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)  
>Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!<em>

The song came to a close and I pulled out my earbuds and surveyed the damage. In about three minutes we had reduced what was once a fortress to a pile of rubble and bodies. "Good job, guys." Delsin wrapped his smoking chain around his wrist with a grin, "We took them down a few pegs."

"Woot woot!" Fetch pumped her fist in the air,"This is what you get, you DUP bastards! We're coming for ya!" She grabbed Eugene's fist and tried him to pump it too. Andi turned to me with a big smile on her face, "This is the best I've felt in a long time."

I nodded, "Hell yeah." I slammed my fists together with a twisted grin, "Payback's a bitch." Everyone laughed, and we all started to make our way home, before the news cameras showed up.


	7. Chapter 7: Go ask Alice

We were actually stopped by a news van on the way home. I would have jumped over it, but Delsin stopped me, "It can't hurt to answer a few questions," He said, with a twinkle in his eyes. "Besides, the fans need their daily dose of Delsin."

Before I could respond with a sarcastic retort, the newsman was shoving a microphone into Delsin's face and pelting him with questions. I instead turned to Fetch with a grin, "Delsin sounds like a dangerous drug, Abi. Why haven't you gotten it off the streets yet?""

"Call me Abi again," she growled. I ducked under a playful punch, and sidestepped to avoid a kick.

Eugene couldn't resist chiming in, "I-It's because she's the one who uses it most!"

Fetch stopped, a shocked look on her face, and I felt laughter threatening to overcome me. I settled for a smile, and fired another shot, "Fetch… You're not addicted to Delsin, are you?" I made my facial expression one of pure horror, "I can't believe it!"

"It's always the quiet ones," Andi added with a smirk. Fetch looked like she was trying to decide which one of us to kill first. Her hands were blazing with neon and I swear I could see smoke coming out of her ears. Thankfully, the newsman started pestering her with questions, and the threat of having my hair singed off with lasers quickly disappeared. I reached over and gave Eugene a high five.

"Glad to know you got my back," I said with a chuckle. His face lit up, and he pushed his glasses back up on his nose with an impish grin.

"G-glad to have it." He fixed his glasses again, "Now we should get you set back up in HH. Your guild has not been doing well. Mel0n0logy has been-"

"Mel0n0logy?! That stuck up bastard!" I hissed angrily, feeling blood heat my cheeks. "I never liked that fucker, but he was a good paladin."

"Like I was saying, you gotta get-"

A microphone was shoved into my face and the reporter started talking at me: "And what was your role into today's events?"

"Today's events?" I put a hand on my chest and blinked rapidly, "You don't mean to say… I'm a Conduit?" I feigned outrage, placing a hand to my forehead. "Good sir, I am most grievously offended." The reporter was taken aback with his mouth hanging in the shape of an "o". He bounced back like a champ, though.

"So you had nothing to do with the devastation at the DUP barracks?"

I rolled my eyes, "Look, Kojak, I was joking. Did you _not_ see the giant scrap tornado that demolished a concrete tower?" I raised my hand and let metal swirl around it, making sure to smile for the camera. I waved, letting thin sheets of steel float in the air. "All me, buddy."

"So you feel no remorse for killing the soldiers?"

"They're _not_ soldiers." I narrowed my eyes, "Soldiers fight to protect. The DUP fights to imprison. That's the difference, and anyone who says otherwise has obviously never spent six months inside Curdon Cay." I pushed the microphone away from my face to forestall any other questions and turned away, nodding to Delsin and the others. "See ya back at the House." I launched straight up the side of a building, not bothering to look back. The wind rushing against my face and whistling in my ears helped calm me down. _No one has any idea what happened in there… I'm going to kill every one of those dupe bastards, on sight, every damn chance I get._ I grabbed the edge of the roof and hauled myself to the top, before running to the next one. I figured Andi would be fine without me, so I pulled out my phone and looked for a bookstore. _I need a new copy of LoTR and the box set for Armageddon's Children…_ Luckily there was a bookstore a few blocks away. I took a running jump, and headed east.

* * *

><p>I opened the glass door, hearing the little bell jingle. Looking around at the signs, I made my way to the fantasy section. I walked among the shelves until I reached the T's. Selecting a LoTR anthology, I opened it and began reading. <em>When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.<em> I couldn't help but smile as I lost myself in the quaint world of Hobbiton. I sat down, and continued reading in the quiet bookstore. _Wish I had some coffee_. I could smell some coming from somewhere so I got up and followed my nose. I found a small Starbucks, bought a Venti (three creams, no sugar) and sat down in a puffy couch.

"You read Tolkien?" I frowned and looked up from my beloved pages. _Oh, shit. _White hair, gray eyes, and paper-colored skin. _Shit._ The same slightly creepy smile, the same trenchcoat and overstuffed backpack full of books. _Shiiiiiiiiit._ It was the crazy book lady from Curdon Cay. She seemed to notice my panic, and gave me an oddly comforting smile. "Relax. I'm not going to bite you."

"You sure?" I scooted as far as I could into the opposite corner of the couch. "You nearly killed me last time."

She rolled her eyes, and began rummaging through her bag. "Right. Look, if I wanted to kill you I'd have left you with the C4."

"Sure…" I nervously gulped some scalding coffee, "So, no bombs this time?" My eyes darted back and forth as I looked for escape routes. There was a big glass window that was practically screaming at me to crash through it and get the hell out of here.

She looked at me quizzically, "I always _have_ bombs. It's just about whether or not I choose to detonate. What's up with the shirt?"

I looked down and realized that my shirt was mangled and shredded beyond repair. "It's a fashion statement." _This is probably why the guy at the counter looked at me weird. _

Alice looked up from her bag, amused. "What's the statement? I'm homeless and I know it?"

I couldn't help but grin, "No. It's more like "I attacked the DUP and all I got was this ripped up t-shirt."

"Well, if you don't want to look like you just crawled out of a dumpster, I can help you out." She dug deeper into her bag; I could see that her entire arm was inside, but it looked like there was still more space. I leaned over her shoulder, interested, as she pulled out a book. It was a ratty old paperback with a red cover and the words "To Clothe a Beast" on the front.

I raised an eyebrow quizzically and sat back in my seat with my arms folded. "I'm not an animal."

"But you need clothing," She said with a smile, "and I guess I owe you one for almost blowing you up." She opened the book, and the pages began turning on their own. She faced the open book towards me, and there was a bright flash of light accompanied by a swirl of paper that struck me in the chest. Oddly the light was warm and comforting, and the paper was soft and smooth. After a few moments, the multi-colored light retracted and the paper swirled back into the book. I looked down and couldn't help but smile. She'd given me a bright blue shirt with the White Tree and Seven Stars emblazoned on the front.

"Now _that's _a shirt." I rubbed the fabric between my fingers, satisfied with the replacement. "How'd you do that?"

"Ah-ah." She tapped the side of her nose, "A magician never reveals her secrets." My phone went off before I could reply. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened my messages. It was Andi.

_Where'd you run off to?_

I quickly tapped a response, _At the bookstore w/Alice._ I quickly snapped a picture of Alice and sent it to Andi. It wasn't long before I heard a ding.

_Wtf, didn't she try 2 kill us?_

_She apologized,_ I texted back. _Plus she made me a bitchin' shirt. _I snapped a glorious selfie so Andi could bask in the radiance of my dazzling smile. Also so she could see my shirt, I guess.

_Ha ha. So we're cool now?_

_Dunno, lemme ask._ I looked over, "Hey Alice, We're cool now, right?"

She smiled, "I can't promise that there won't be any repeats of what happened at Curdon Cay. But for right now we're good. I doubt you can say the same for the other people in here though. My little 'stunt' nearly gave some of them heart attacks."

I chuckled, "They should have seen my scrap tornado." I returned my attention to the phone, _Yeah, we're good. Sort of._

_Sort of in a good way or bad way :L_

_Good way I think_

_K. When u comin bak?_

_Soon I guess. _I glanced at the top of the screen, _Maybe an hour._

_Maybe sooner ? I've got a surprise for you ;)_

My heart skipped a beat as I read the last message. I quickly turned to Alice, "Igottagobyethanksfortheshirt" and ran out the door, tossing a wad of cash at the clerk sitting at the front desk. I've never ran so fast in my life.


	8. Chapter 8: The Converted

Chapter 8

The Converted

I practically crashed through the door to our room, "I'mherearewegettingnakedorwhat?"

"Um, no." Andi put down her sketchbook and rolled her eyes, "Not every 'surprise' is necessarily sex you know."

My face fell, and she laughed and patted me on the head. "C'mon you big baby, let's get down to the garage." She must have seen my eyes light up because she rolled her eyes again and flicked my nose in annoyance. "And no, we're not going to bang in the garage either."

I lowered my voice and grinned suggestively, "You sure about that-"

She narrowed her violet eyes, "One hundred percent sure. Don't make me put you in the doghouse already." She left the room without another word. I bent down, picked up what was left of my pride and followed.

I made it to the garage, pride only slightly damaged, and opened the door. "Holy shit!"

The car was completely pimped, with a new stereo, neon blue underlights, high-tech dashboard and a steering wheel with a ton of buttons I couldn't wait to press. Andi leaned on the car with a smile, hands in the pockets of her hoodie. "You like it?"

I walked around the entire car, "I love it. You even got the windows fixed!" I threw my arms around her and kissed her, "You are _the_ _best_ girlfriend ever."  
>She smirked, "You're damn right. Wanna take it for a drive?"<p>

"Yes." I ran around to the drivers side, yanked open the door, and slid inside. The leather on the seats was smooth, and cool to the touch. I noticed there were buttons for seat warming _and _seat cooling. Seriously? Seat cooling? Holy shit, man, most people just turn on the AC. Seat cooliiiiiiing! I looked for the keys, "Yo Andi, where are the-"

"Keys?" She opened the passenger side and handed me the keychain with a grin, "Don't drive too fast. You don't have your license and the last thing we need is some poor cop trying to arrest you."

I chuckled at the image. "I'd just absorb the handcuffs and drive away."

"_And_ start a police chase. Real life is _not _GTA, and we don't need the hassle of being wanted." She leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek before closing the door and heading back upstairs, "And for the love of god, don't scratch the paint."

I laughed and started the car, feeling the engine rumble. I peeled out of the garage and raced down the street, windows open, blasting music and annoying every single person who I drove past.

It'd been three hours and I'd only gotten into _five_ drag races. It's a good thing I could practically make the car fly or I would have gotten arrested twice. Can't say the same for my fellow racers but oh well. I pulled over at a McDonalds and went inside, wishing there was In-N-Out in Seattle.

"Hi Welcome to McDonalds, how can I help you?" The cashier gave me the "I hate this job but I need it so I have to pretend to like you" smile and I smiled back.

"Yeah lemme get a large sweet tea." I leaned forward as he punched buttons on the register, "Job sucks, huh?"

"Yeah." He frowned, "But I need it."

I nodded, and handed him a stack of hundreds. "Keep it."

His eyes nearly exploded out of his head, but he nooded and stuffed it in his pocket. "That'll be one dollar please." I paid him with a smile, and grabbed my tea. I went out the door and was heading to my car when I noticed.

"Unbelievable," I muttered to myself. Someone had busted in my window and was trying to steal my radio. I calmly strolled over, "Hey, man, not cool."

The figure in the hood whipped around, caught in the act. "Give me your wallet."

"Whoa, what?" I looked the thief over, "And what're you robbing me with? You gonna hit me over the head with my radio-" Their fist flew into my face and I went crashing through McDonald's glass window. I groaned and rolled over. _Shit, I think he broke my nose… How did he break my nose? No one hits that hard, not even the Queer Scotsman._ I picked myself up, set my nose, and rushed out after the thief who had my radio tucked under their arm. "COME BACK HERE! I'M GONNA PAINT YOUR BRAINS ALL OVER THE ASPHALT!" I unslung my Amp and launched right at the thief. I caught up to them in an alley and my first swing collided with their head, sending them sprawling. I landed on top of them and started punching them in the face, "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY CAR AGAIN YOU BASTARD!" Each word was punctuated with a punch, and I pulled back to punch them again when a blur of motion caught my eye. I whipped around and fired shrapnel at the blur, and narrowly avoided being hit with a trashcan. Random objects started throwing themselves at me: Boxes, cans, bottles. A dumpster even came my way, but slow enough so that I simply sidestepped it. The thief was rolling on the ground in agony, and I hauled them to their feet, ripping off the hood. What I saw was not what I expected.

A girl, probably a few years younger than me. Not that I felt any worse about punching her, but still. Frosty blue eyes and stark-white, feathery hair that was cut short. Her skin was unbelievably white and blood was running from her nose, but it was a light, icy blue and a lot thicker than blood should be. That's what grabbed me about her. "You bleed blue?" She didn't answer, and I let her slump to the floor just as a bottle hit me in the face. _Ah! Goddamnit!_

"Leave her alone," A very ominous sounding voice said from the end of the alley. I turned to see another hooded person, standing with their arms outstretched. "Or I'll be forced to hurt you." Another few items floated in the air around them, mostly discarded bottles, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, no, please! Don't throw anymore bottles at me, that's my one weakness!" I fell onto my knees in mock supplication, "Anything but that, please!"

"You think this is funny?" The voice said, quavering. "I'll… I'll kill you if you don't leave right now!"

"Pfft." I got up and dusted off my trademark grayish-purple jacket. "Look, kid, you're some kind of Conduit, I get that. But just because you're on the streets doesn't mean you steal people's radios," I paused and hooked a thumb at my chest, "Especially mine. I just got the windows redone, too. They were all busted out…"

"I'm not a Conduit!" The voice protested.

I raised an eyebrow, "Really."

"I wish I could be a Conduit…" the voice stated, then stopped. "No! What am I saying?! Look, just let her go or else." The bottles whirred noisily, but the voice itself sounded scared, confused. I took a step closer, deciding to risk it. "How old are you? Twelve, thirteen?" I sized the figure up, "You're barely 5'3."

"What? I'm 15! I mean… I'm warning you!" A bottle zipped by my head, but I dodged it with ease.

"You can throw bottles, but you can also move plastic trashcans, cardboard boxes, and even a metal dumpster." I took another step, "What is your power, anyways?"

"STAY BACK!" The hands thrust forward and I was knocked back a few steps. I quickly recovered and strode forward, grabbing the shadowy figure by it's wrists.

"No! No, no, no! Let go of me!" There was no more menacing, thundering voice. They sounded more like a shrieking five-year-old. I quickly manacled their wrists together and threw back their hood. Surprise surprise, it was a little girl. This one looked much younger, I had guessed right. Her hair was blonde, in a ponytail, and her skin was a rich brown. But her eyes were honey-golden and if I looked closely, so were the veins running under her skin. _She reminds me of a tiger's eye stone._

"Iris," The girl behind me croaked. "Run."

"No!" She tried to cross her arms but my crude shackles stopped her, so she just stomped her feet. "I'm not leaving without you, Opal!"

'Opal' coughed, and more blood spurted from her nose. "Don't you get it? This guy… he's a full Conduit. There's nothing we can do to stop him. Please," she turned her head to face me. "I'm begging you, let her go."

I nodded and released the little girl from her handcuffs with a flick of my wrist and she bolted over to Opal, hugging her and crying. Opal weakly hugged her back, and I couldn't hear what she was saying to Iris. I waited patiently, regretting my sudden outburst of anger. _I feel like Hitler now, Jeez._ Opal eventually managed to push Iris away, but the little girl refused to go more than a few inches away from her. Iris glared at me, "Wh-whatever you do to her, y-you're going to have to do to me too," She said with a sniffle.

I buried my face in my hands and groaned. "I'm literally Hitler right now."

"Yeah you're a big fat Hitler," Iris said, plucking up her courage. "You're a meanie and I hope you get hit by a bus."

I looked up and rubbed the bridge of my nose, "I've been hit by a bus before, Iris. I'm still here."

"Well then… Then I hope someone hurts you!" Iris spat back.

"Not likely to happen, not unless you know the Queer Scotsman or his artist friend." _I still have that painting in my trunk… I should do something about that._

"Wh-who?"

I sighed, and sat down on the concrete. "Nevermind. Look, Iris… I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

She sniffled again and wiped her eyes, "Why should I believe you? L-look at wh-what you did to Opal…" She was on the verge of breaking down into tears again, and I quickly started talking;

"I'm not going to hurt either of you. I just got pissed that Opal busted my car… My girlfriend got it all tricked out for me and when I came out and saw her stealing my radio… I got pissed. Punching me through a window didn't help either." I looked over at Opal, whose face was swollen, bruised and puffy. "I'm sorry."

Iris narrowed her eyes, "Apology not accepted."

"Iris…" Opal protested.

I raised a hand to silence her. "No, it's fine. I screwed up pretty bad." _As evidenced by your face._ I winced, thinking about it. "I can help heal Opal, if you let me."

"You're not going anywhere near her, you meanie!" Eyes blazing, Iris sprung up to defend her sister/friend, but Opal reached out to stop her. I approached, slowly, and stood in front of Opal. _Okay, I've done this before. It's not that hard._ I stretched out a hand, and waved it upwards. Iron Sand swirled around Opal, quickly lifting her to feet. As it cleared I smiled, _Nailed it. _I wasn't sure how the healing power worked, but it worked great. You couldn't even tell that I had nearly beaten Opal's face into a pulp. Cue the internal wince.

Opal gingerly touched her face, and started in shock. She looked in a grimy windowpane, and wonder shown in her eyes as she realized that my healing worked. "You see, Iris? This is the power of a true Conduit." She said it reverently, and to be honest it kinda creeped me out. She turned to face me, "Thank you, Prime."

I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed and creeped out all at once. "It was nothing, really. You don't have to call me prime, either. My name's Vince."

She beamed at me, "Well thanks, Vince. I forgive you for almost beating my face in earlier. Sorry about your radio. See ya around sometime." She gave me a peck on the cheek, put an arm around Iris, and started walking away. I was nearly too shocked so say anything, but I recovered like a boss.

"Wait."

She turned around with a smile on her face. "Yeah?"

"What type of Conduits are you?" I asked. "Iris is a telekinetic and you're super strong… I've never seen anything like that before."  
>Opal laughed, and it was a good, genuine laugh, full of mirth. "We're not Conduits. I don't have super strength, I have 'Tactile-Telekinesis'," She said the words proudly, "but yeah, Iris is telekinetic— to an extent. "<p>

"Well, if you're not Conduits, then what are you?"

"Converted." She turned around and the two walked away without another word, leaving me to figure out how I was going to explain to Andi what happened to the car.

"Stop _right_ there, girls!" I heard a feminine voice shout and whirled around to see a girl who was roughly my age. She had a slight French accent which was accompanied by healthy-brown skin and silver makeup on her eyes and lips. Opal and Iris slowly turned around and practically winced when they saw who it was. _Great, this just get's more interesting by the second_.

"I couldn't agree more," The new girl commented with a smirk in my direction.

_What?_

"Yeah, that's the reaction I usually get." She added, walking past me towards the two girls.

_What reaction, I didn't even speak_!

"You didn't need to."

_She can read my mind…_ I facepalmed.

"Well done, Sherlock!" She gave me a dazzling smile, but there was something in her multi-colored eyes that suggested the sarcasm behind it.

I rolled my eyes, "Well luckily for me I read books and happen to know a way around that." _I am the circle and the circle is me, I am the circle and the circle is me, I am the circle and the circle is me, I am the circle…_ Lame as it sounds, if you repeat that enough it becomes mired in your subconscious, and "drowns out" the noise" of your other thoughts. Right after I read _The Knife of Never Letting Go _I tried that for about a straight month. Now doing it again was like slipping on a glove.

The new girl frowned at me. "Stop that."

I laughed, "Yeah… no. I like my privacy."

She huffed, "It's annoying. It's a buzzing in the back of my head that won't go away."

"Then stay out of mine," I shot back.

She gave me another dazzling smile, "You're going to be one hell of a problem, aren't you?"

I shrugged, "Unfortunately, it seems that way."

Iris and Opal had been edging away, but the girl snapped her fingers. "You stop that. Here, now." They meekly obeyed, and came over to stand slightly behind me. Iris traced patterns on the asphalt with her toe, "We weren't doing anything bad, Ms. K, we promise."

"Nothing bad, hmm?" She crossed her arms, "Then why were you stealing this man's radio?"

_Well shit, she is a mind reader._ She didn't seem to hear my thoughts so I guess the circle trick was working.

"You know why?" Opal spat. "Because we need the money more than he does. We're living on the streets, Kristil! We've got to take care of our own. You can win all the poker matches you want, but the truth is that some of us _still_ go hungry at night! I don't know about you, but I think we're more deserving of the money then some rich-boy-conduit who-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," I interjected, stepping between the two of them. "Ladies, please." I turned to Opal, "I'm not rich. I just happened to kill drug dealers and take their money. If you were smart, you would have thought of that, instead of trying to steal a radio from anyone." I chuckled, "You guy won the lottery for bad luck, though. You managed to break into the only car owned by a Prime Conduit in town."

"_And _get your face pounded in afterwards _which_ endangered Iris," Kristil asserted. I gave her a death glare followed by the thought _Shut the hell up, okay?_ She narrowed her eyes in response. I turned back to Opal, "So next time, think about who you steal from. You have to be smart about it."

Kristil smiled, "Yes, you… Wait, what?"

"For example," I began, as I held up a black faux leather wallet, "I was able to pinch this off Kristil right after I pulled the circle trick."

Kristil narrowed her eyes even further, "Amusing." Her voice was dripping venom, but Opal's eyes sparkled with mirth and Iris was on the verge of laughter.

"Know your mark," I continued, grinning widely, "For example, if your mark is a stuck up bitch-"

Kristil mumbled something to herself and Iris let out a squeal of laughter before clapping her hands over her mouth. Opal was outright grinning now.

"-Then she assumes that no one will ever be able to one-up her." I snapped my fingers and the lid to the dumpster flew open. I tossed the wallet behind me and it landed right in the middle of what used to be someone's food. I snapped again and the lid slammed shut, sealing itself with metal. "That makes it easy to grab, say, her wallet." I turned around and bowed to Kristil, causing Iris to lose all self-control (which was pretty impressive for a twelve-year-old) and burst into peals of laughter. Opal had a hand over her mouth and was laughing silently as she wiped away tears of mirth.

I stood up, brushed my jacket off, and smirked at Kristil. _Hope you like dumpster diving, bitch._ Her eyes widened and when I turned around I could feel them boring holes into my neck. "Now who wants some food? All this stealing is making me hungry."


	9. Chapter 9: Street Kids

Not five minutes later we were sitting in a Five Guys, munching on burgers, and chatting like old friends. I had the feeling that Kristil hadn't forgiven me, though, so I made sure to keep the circle chant going.

"So she set off the C4?" Kristil asked, before starting on her second burger.

"Did you die?" Iris asked, looking up at me with huge golden eyes.

I allowed myself a laugh, "Yes Iris. I died."

She gasped, before realizing what she said. Her face promptly turned bright red, and she crossed her arms. "Meanie," she muttered.

Opal laughed and ruffled Iris' hair. "It's alright kiddo. Honest mistake."

I took a bite of my burger, "But yeah, she does. Somehow, though, we got sent outside." I shivered involuntarily. "All I remember hearing was the sound of Andi screaming."

"Who?" Opal asked, biting into her fourth burger.

Kristil's face brightened, "Why, his girlfriend of course."

I rolled my eyes, _How the hell did you do that?_

_I'm not telling you,_ She replied, sounding as triumphant as she could. She smiled at me and went back to eating her burger.

I gave her the mental equivalent of the middle finger and turned my attention back to Opal and Iris. "Yeah, my girlfriend. I dunno what Alice did, but… It shook me up pretty bad." I noticed that Opal was frowning, but when I caught her eyes she started and began attacking her burger with a vengeance.

_Oh my… It seems Opal's got a crush on you,_ Kristil teased.

_What? Ten minutes ago I was beating her face into a pulp._

Kristil rolled her eyes and took a sip of her soda, _And then you healed her. You're a Prime Conduit, a powerful one at that. You've got money, more importantly the ability to provide, and you're handsome. You're a lovable rogue and she's entranced with the abstract of you._

I shrugged, _She's pretty hot. She seems nice, despite the fact that she trashed my car, and I'd definitely give her a shot if I hadn't already found the love of my life._

_Human after all._

_What?_

She shook her head, _You really do love her, don't you?_

_Yes._ I took a french fry from her tray, _But that's none of your damn business._

_Touche._

I finished my burger and took a swig of my shake. "But we made it out alright, and nothing really interesting happened until the Queer Scotsman showed up."

"The who?" Iris asked. "Can I have another burger?"

"Iris, that was your fifth one." Opal nudged her, "Be polite."

I waved a hand, "It's alright." I handed Iris a twenty, "Go wild." I waited until she left, then turned to survey the two Converted that I was sharing lunch with. "Okay, so I've got a few questions: One, what does Converted mean? Two, are there more of you? Three, where are you staying, and four," I paused for dramatic effect; "Why the hell do you guys eat so much?"

Opal shrugged and turned to Kristil who replied, "One, we were converted from normal humans to… this. Forced to have powers by someone who calls himself Kessler."

"Two," Opal added, ticking off the number on her fingers, "There are plenty more of , we stay at the Flea,"

"And four, some of us need to eat so much to sustain our energy. Of course, me and a few others don't need to but some of the first to be experimented on were Opal and Iris have this eating 'disorder' as a side-effect. They put away twice what any normal person does, and right after they use their powers," Kristil shrugged, "They can eat quite a lot."

"Yeah, look at me." Opal gestured to her collection of discarded burger wrappers, "And all I did was punch you through a window. Iris, well… she used her powers much more than she usually does." She smiled, "I'm just glad she's alright."

"Is she your sister?" I asked. "You two seem awfully close."

Opal smiled and ran a hand through her hair, "We're not related by blood, but she _is _my little sister." Her eyes glowed an eerie blue as she continued, "And I'll beat the shit out of anyone who says otherwise."

I nodded; the idea of wanting to protect someone was definitely something I understood. "So what's with the eye thing?"

"The eye what?" As soon as I said that, Opal's eyes reverted back to their normal frosty blue. "What eye thing?"

I looked directly into her eyes, trying to see if they'd flash blue again. "Your eyes, they were just glowing blue. It might be some sort of subconscious reaction to something." She tried to look away, but I took her chin and gently guided her eyes to mine. "Start talking about Iris again."

"Okay, sure." Opal took a deep breath, "She's my little sister, and I'm going to protect her no matter what. I don't care what I have to do, if it's for her, I'll glady-" Her eyes flared blue almost immediately.

"Whoa." Her eyes were glowing, emitting some kind of blue light. It was almost like watching Aang go into the Avatar state, but with less bending. I tilted her head left and right, but the light stayed the same. "That's cool."

"Uh, what're you doing?" Iris plopped back into her seat, "Why are you touching-" She saw Opal's eyes, "Whoaaaaa. Opal, your eyes glow!"

"I'm telling you I don't know what you're talking about," Opal, said, slightly irritated. The blue was gone as soon as she said that, and she was just staring into my eyes again. There was an awkward few seconds before I remembered I was holding her chin. I quickly yanked my hand away, embarrassed.

"It's triggered by strong emotions," I concluded, sitting back in my chair and hoping my tan would hide the blood rushing to my face.

_So you do like what you see then,_ Kristil taunted in a singsong voice.

_Go to hell._ I kicked her under the table, and then groaned inwardly. _It's like I'm back in middle school, for God's sake._ Thankfully, my phone went off, and I checked it. "Sorry guys, Andi's calling. I gotta take this." I noticed that Opal's eyes flashed again when I said that, but quickly reverted. I answered the phone, "Yo."

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, VINCE?!" I winced and held the phone away from my ear as Andi continued to yell, "THREE GODDAMN HOURS AND YOU TRASHED THE CAR?!"

"Not exactly, you see-"

"WHAT I SEE IS A BUSTED WINDOW AND A MISSING RADIO! THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS, I SWEAR!" I could hear her kick something in the background, "PLEASE TELL ME YOU CAUGHT THE THIEF!"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"BUT NOTHING! I'M COMING OVER THERE AND I'M GOING TO STOMP THEIR ASS INTO THE GROUND!" I could just picture her violently thumbing end call. I lowered the phone and looked over at the three Converted, "You guys might wanna leave. Andi's coming over here to stomp Opal's face in."

"What?" Opal stood up quickly, "She knows who I am?"

"Well, no, but she did promise to find the thief and, I quote, "stomp their ass into the ground"." I winced at the thought, "She _did _just get the car fixed." I heard the doors behind me slam open, and I turned around to see Andi in all her glorious wrath.

"Who?" The word fell from her lips like molten lava, sizzling and popping on the cold, polished floor.

"Wait, before you do anything," I took a deep breath, "I caught Opal stealing the radio and then I got punched through the window of McDonalds but then I caught up to her and beat her to a pulp-" I took another breath, "But she started bleeding blue and then her little sister Iris started throwing bottles at me and then she started crying and then I felt bad so I healed Opal and then Kristil showed up and she's psychic and now we're sitting down and eating Five Guys 'cause they got no money and live on the streets." I took another breath and was about to start talking again, but Andi put a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"Actually, I have a lot of money!" Kristil chimed in cheerily, waving a thick wad of cash in the air, _How the fuck? Her wallet is back in the dumpster!_

Andi growled at me before taking a calming breath, "So… 'Opal' stole because she was starving?" I nodded silently, and Andi seemed to relax. "Well then I forgive her."

My jaw hit the floor. "You… forgive her?"

"Duh, idiot." She laughed, "We've done the same thing before, remember?" She looked around behind me, "I'm guessing one of those girls is Opal?" She pointed behind me.

"Yeah, the one with the white hair."

"Huh." Andi tilted her head, "You know who she looks like?"

I shrugged, "Nope. Who?"

"Elsa."

I rolled my eyes at Andi's fixation with Disney characters while she grabbed a seat from an empty table and moved it to our table before sitting down. If anyone, she looked slightly like Alice. I still don't understand the 'blue blood' bit that gave her that pale skin, but I'd ask about that later. Right now, some different questions need to be asked. Taking a seat, I carried on with my burger while glaring at Kristil— see? Men _can_ multi-task! _Where did you get that money from?_

_Don't worry,_ _**I'm**_ _not the pickpocket here_.

_Your wallet is back in the dumpster._

_Maybe, _The french girl smirked, _but I took out my money long before you stole it._

_So you knew what I was going to do?_

_You __**really**_ _underestimate my power. Of course I knew. Your circle trick worked for a bit at hiding your surface thoughts, but as long as I'm within proximity, I can dig further and further into your mind. I knew what you were going to do before even __**you **__did. In fact, I've stayed within proximity so long that within a few seconds, I'll be able to see your memories… not that I'd want to._

_You'd better not_... We were looking pointedly at each other now, engaged in our silent conversation, _So why not say there and then instead of going through the humiliation? _I asked.

_I'm not going to stoop to your level, Vincent Tate, you can bask in the glory of your pathetic little victories while I know that you've accomplished nothing_, Her eyes flashed green, just for a split-second, _Your attempts to humiliate me are nothing. And I've been through too much to give any less shit about them._

_I'd probably apologize if you weren't being such a bitch._

_I think I have every right to be a bitch, not that your opinion of me is relevant anyway. Your mind and mental defenses wouldn't last a second in a fight against me._

_Wanna bet?_

_I could have you vegetative in seconds. But it's not you that I'm interested in right now. Andrea Quincy has quite an intriguing—._

I mentally growled, _Touch her and I'll kill you. _

_Do you have any idea how shattered her mind is? _She gave Andi a quick curious glance before returning to our staring-match/mental-argument. _Something terrible has happened to her…_

"Am I interrupting something?" Andi asked.

"They're having a telepathic conversation." Opal whispered.

"We _were_." I corrected and Kristil gave an innocent grin.

Andi leaned over and mumbled into my ear, "You better not have been flirting…" Kristil let out a little laugh and got up from her chair.

"Girls," Her tone suddenly turned serious as she turned to Opal and Iris, "You abused my hospitality by not abiding by my rules."

"But Ms. K," Iris protested. "We were just-"

"No buts." She crossed her arms, "You must be punished. There has to be order. We do not steal, especially from other Converted or Conduits."

"Harsh," Andi muttered.

"Therefore," Kristil continued, "You, Iris, are not to be punished. I am being lenient because the theft was not your idea. Opal, dear, you are another matter entirely." She paused and tapped a finger on her chin, "I think you'll spend some time in the Pit." Opal's eyes narrowed, but she didn't seem inclined to respond.

_The pit?_ I queried.

_Yes, Vincent. The Pit. It's a nice name for a beating. It's surprisingly effective._

_Whoa, ballsy._ I sent her the mental equivalent of a slow clap, and she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

_You approve? I assumed you would have been outraged._

_Pfft. I'm impressed. You don't seem the type for corporal punishment. You could, you know-_

_Shatter someone's mind? I've done that before, dear, and that leaves them useless. Plus, the goal here is not torture, but discipline. On the note of uselessness, I'm very interested in your girlfriend's-_

I narrowed my eyes and tried to contain the thought of punching Kristil in the throat. _Don't._

She rolled her eyes and huffed, _Honestly, I was only going to point out that her mind is in a state that would leave most people comatose._

I clamped down hard on my memories. The last thing we need is for someone _else_ learning about Abstergo.

_Abster-what?_

_If you value your safety, you won't ask me that question._ She seemed to sense that I wasn't threatening her, and didn't pursue the question.

_If you insist._

I smirked, winning these mental disputes was hella fun.

_I wouldn't say you won, dearie._

I turned up the circle chant in my head.

_That does nothing._

_It annoys you, _I countered.

"Ahem," Andi cleared her throat, "Well it's nice that you two are bonding, but the rest of us don't have telepathic powers. Mind filling us in?"

"Well Vincent here is very noble," Kristil said with a smile. "He just informed me that he will take Opal's place in the Pit, as he did not think it would be fair to punish her for a simple mistake."

_You fucking bitch._ I plastered a grin on my face, "Yeah, I'm good like that." Andi raised an eyebrow and I shook my head over so slightly.

_That bitch, _she mouthed. I shrugged in response.

Opal's eyes flared blue again, "You don't need to do that, Vince."

"Eh, fuck it." I glanced at my phone, "I've got nothing better to do anyways. Let's go."

* * *

><p>We were walking down the street at a rapid pace. The sun was setting, and Andi tugged on my jacket. "So you didn't agree to protect Opal."<p>

"No. But they obviously don't know very much about Conduits," I said with a grin.

Andi's eyes widened, and she put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. I only now noticed what she was wearing: a deep purple sweater, with gray skinny jeans and matching Converse. It still takes my breath away; how beautiful she really is. I found myself looking into her violet eyes, which had unique flecks of blue inside. I actually walked into a streetlamp, I was so caught up in her exquisite beauty. I heard Kristil snort and Iris giggle as I rubbed my nose.

"Thinking about me again?" Andi asked with a grin. "I'm glad I take up so much of your thoughts."

"Shh," I said, putting a finger to my lips. "Not in front of the mind reader." Her response was a laugh and a quick kiss.

"We're here." Kristil announced, before disappearing into the shadow of a building. We followed, passing under scaffolding and plastic sheets. I was not expecting what came next. We entered what looked to be an old theater, but it was full of golden light. People were everywhere, and it was only a few seconds before I realized they were all kids. There were tons of stands set up, each with various items set up on makeshift stalls.

Kristil smirked at the expression on my face. "Welcome to the Flea."

"This is incredible," Andi said, as we made our way down through the crowds of kids and vendors. "It's a whole market."

"Oh, it's much more than that. It's also living quarters, a meeting place, a parliament, training area,"She stopped and held open a door. "It's whatever we need it to be."

"Iris, why don't you go find Ivy?" Opal asked. Iris nodded and skipped away, cleary glad to be home. Opal turned to me with an apologetic look on her face; "I'm sorry about this, Vince."

"Meh." I shrugged it off and headed through the door. We went down a flight of stairs into what looked to be a storage room for films. There were four people waiting for us.

"Heyyyy, Kris." A guy walked up and gave Kristil a smile which she returned with her own… well _her_ 'smile' looked more like just a few muscles moving in her face— devoid of all warmth. He had spiky black hair, uniform stubble covering the lower part of his face, violet-blue eyes (creepily like Andi's) and pale, pale skin. He looked like a twenty-year old version of Bruce Wayne (and not the borderline-weedy kind from the Nolan trilogy), and was _pretty_ ripped, enough to give the Queer Scotsman a run for his money.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Andi muttered, just about loud enough for me to hear. My eyes widened and she gave me a devilish grin.

_Sadly, taken._ Kristil sent the mental message to the pair of us and Andi feigned disappointment. I could tell it was all an act but still…

"And so are you, Andrea Quincy" I muttered back, replying to both Kristil's and Andi's statements. Putting this discussion aside for later I busied myself by letting my eyes wander over the others. There was a girl, with sky blue eyes, freckles, pale skin, and messy black hair with blue highlights. She was wearing a _very_ tight leather jacket with even tighter looking pants and red running shoes but there was something in her eyes that made me uneasy, they looked… empty. The guy next to her had curly brown hair, brown eyes, dark skin, and a strange scar on his left arm and was wearing a muscle shirt that said _CALIFORNIA_ across the front and blue jeans with a chain hanging from his left pocket. _He looks like a blacker version of me._ The last guy was some poser with a green dyed mohawk, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He was slightly taller than me, but that was because of his platform boots. He was wearing all leather and I could feel the metal in the ink of his many tattoos resonating from his body. _Okay, right off the bat I wanna punch __**this**_ _guy._

The Bruce Wayne one walked over to me, "I'm David Cross." We were about even in stature, though he was almost twice as wide and all the muscle probably made him a tonne heavier, and I shook the hand he offered while staring him down.

"Vincent Tate. Or, at least, that's what my file in the List says." I shrugged, "But the Dupes aren't exactly a reliable source of information."

He laughed, "You can say that again. This is my crew. Nexi,"

_**My **__Crew,_ Kristil mentally interrupted.

He ignored her and pointed to the girl in leather, who grinned and bowed. "Alfie," The guy in the muscle shirt, who nodded to me... "and Ethan," who responded with a "Yo."

I offered them all a wry smile, "Charmed. Can we get on with the beating or what?"

He shrugged, "Your choice." I wasn't surprised in the least that Kristil had told him everything, so I just shrugged again, "but we usually give a day for the victim to get prepared."

_Prepared?_

_What? _Kristil's annoying French accent invaded my mind yet again, _You didn't think it was going to be just a few punches, did you?_

_You already know what I __**think**__, so cut the crap. _David must have noticed what we talking/thinking about— or maybe it was just a coincidence— because he laughed. "The Pit is further in, come on." We walked down the hall, past the old film projectors and under another plastic sheet. I was not prepared, again. There was a steel grate at the end of the hall, and between the bars I could see an Arena, Colosseum style. There was a huge ring of seats on the left with a semi-ornate viewing box in the middle, (I guess that's where Kristil and her cronies sat), a solid wall to the right, and sand completely covering the floor. Light came from the same floating orbs I'd seen back at the Flea. _Now this is totally badass._

_It's not as much fun once you're in the ring, _Kristil reminded me, her voice singsong and taunting.

_Bitch please. I always wanted to be like Russell Crowe. _I turned around, "When do I go in?" The surprised look on David's face was golden.  
>"I suppose you can go in ten minutes, that's when today's match starts. There's a weapons room back-"<p>

I waved a hand, "No need. I'll be using my Amp."

He snorted, "You want to fight with an oversized tuning fork?"

"It's stronger than it looks," Opal chimed in with a rueful smile. "I would know, he cracked me in the head with it." Everyone in the room chuckled. Andi raised an eyebrow at me and I smiled sweetly.

"So you're good then?" David asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. What're the rules again? Like, first blood, to the death, what?"

"It's till knockout," Kristil said with an eye roll. "You realize we're not complete barbarians."

_Suuure. And normal people have a gladiator arena in an abandoned movie theater._

_And what about us is normal?_ She asked before turning and leaving. David and the others followed suit, leaving me with Opal and Andi. I was about to talk to Andi, but Opal pulled me into a hug. "Thanks for taking the fall. I know that bitch set you up, but it's cool that you're doing this."

"You knew the whole time?" I asked, incredulous.

"Duh. You just met me, and sure you're a nice guy, but there's no reason for you to come and fight for me," she said as she squeezed me tighter. Andi caught my eye, and she mouthed _Hot as fuck_ at me and winked before performing some very crude hand signals.

"Yeah, you're welcome. I don't think you would have had a problem, with your super strength and all." I stood there rather awkwardly, not sure if I should hug back, but Andi mouthed _Hug back you idiot_ at me and I did. I was extremely confused, but I did, which prompted a sigh of contentment form Opal. She rested her head on my shoulder and I could feel her hot breath on my neck as she murmured something unintelligible.

"Opal?" I asked. "Fight?"

"Oh, right, right." She immediately let go and left quickly, but not before I noticed that her eyes were glowing bright blue. Hell she could have been her own flashlight. "See ya around, Vince."

Andi made her way over and sat next to me on a crappy theater seat, "Now she's hot."

"Are you kidding me?" I slid down, back against the metal grate. "You're okay with that?"

She snorted, "Hell yes, I'm okay with that. Hell, I'd bang her if I had a chance."

"You told me to _fuck_ her, Andi." I thought about it for a few seconds, "And I'm cool with that. But only if you're cool with that."

Andi wiggled her eyebrows.

I raised _my _eyebrows. "Really. _You_ are okay with the idea of _sharing_?"

She shrugged and grinned, "Only in this case, and maybe a few others. Who knows, maybe there's a threesome in our not too distant future."

I grinned, "Did I ever tell you-"

"That I'm the best girlfriend ever?" She marched over, sat down in my lap and entangled her fingers in my hair. "You could stand to mention it a _bit_ more. Now go out there and win, Maximus." She kissed me, and I closed my eyes to better enjoy the sensation of her tongue exploring my mouth. She tasted sweet and smoky, like-

"Ahem." We split apart and I took everything I had not to murder the fool that interrupted us. "One minute."

"Damn." Andi slid off my lap and I stood up, brushed off my clothes, and faced the gate.

"Good luck," She said in a singsong voice as she left the room. I took a deep breath and tried banishing the thoughts that were running wild through my head. _Calm down, Vince. Right now you gotta put on your war face. Or something cheesy like that._ The gate slid upwards, and I advanced into the arena.


	10. Chapter 10: Gladiator

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the text walls, and thanks for reading. I'd like to recommend some songs to listen to while you read this.  
>~Zeta<strong>

**Gold Dust: Dj Fresh  
><strong>**Centuries: Fallout Boy  
><strong>**We'll Be Coming Back for Yee: Hardwell Mashup  
>I can't Stop: Flux Pavillion<strong>

**Keep on reading and stay awesome:)  
>Liked the story? Please take the time and leave a review.<strong>

I heard the roar of the crowd and the crunch of the sand under my feet as I entered the arena (And left my precious jacket behind with Andi. I'm not letting that get torn up). Sure, the roar wasn't precisely deafening, but it was still hella loud. It looked like there were at least a hundred people in the stands. This was in addition to the few hundred I had seen outside at the Flea and however many were holed away in the living quarters. _This place is huge,_ I realized. _It's like a second city._ I looked around the arena for my fellow competitors, and saw none. I saw a second gate raise, and lower. I sized up my first competitor; A guy with bright yellow hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing a hoodie and jeans and carrying wicked-looking spear. When I say _spear_, what I really mean is a metal broom handle with two hunting knives duct-taped to the end of it. I laughed as he spun the spear around and showed off to the crowd, because well damn son, _metal broom handle._ The next gate opened, and out came a brown-haired girl in a red windbreaker. She was brandishing a mace-like contraption. Guess what the mace head was made of? Yep, _metal_. She had a grim determination about her, like she just wanted to get in and get out. Third gate opened, another brunette girl came out. She was in a t shirt and shorts, and brought no weapon besides a pair of brass knuckledusters.

_Well crap. She's got some kind of powers._ The fourth and final gate swung open, revealing a guy with bright blue hair and fingerless gloves. He smirked and flexed his hands, _Another one with powers then_. I unslung my Amp and looked from person to person. "Hmm." I spun it lazily in a circle, deciding who to attack first. The decision was made for me though. Spear guy lunged at Mace chick, and Blue hair took in a deep breath and exhaled blue fire at me and Unarmed. I rolled out of the way easy enough and Unarmed did the same. I ran directly for spear guy, leaving the other two to sort it out, and swung for his head, using my running momentum for an extra punch but he ducked and my Amp sailed harmlessly over him. He slammed the butt of his spear into my chest, but I grabbed it and absorbed part of the handle. I yanked him forward and headbutted him but he saw it coming and rushed forward to block. Luckily for me, he was a little too hasty and stumbled, giving me the chance to slam my palm into his chin. His neck snapped backwards with a sickening crunch of bones that resonated in the arena, and the crowd roared.

_These people love their goddamn bread and circuses. _I looked up, raised my Amp and roared. The people screamed in response and I couldn't help but notice Kristil's look of disappointment— not in me but rather in Spear-guy for not gutting me. Unfortunately for me, I was too occupied by winning the crowd to realise that Mace chick was right behind me. She bashed me in the side of the head, and suddenly I was down in the sand. _Damn it._ I pushed myself to my feet, my pulse pounding in my ears, and backflipped away from another attack. I grabbed my Amp, and swung to parry her mace. The two weapons clashed in a shower of sparks, but I was glad to see the Amp stood strong. Mace Chick drew back for another swing, and our weapons met once again; but this time her mace split into a billion tiny pieces, and she was left holding a very ruined wooden handle. The shock on her face was priceless. I just offered her a smile before punching her and sending her flying across the arena. _She'll be seeing stars for the rest of her life._ Having finished two, I turned around to face Unarmed and apparently Puff the Magic Dragon. I wasted no time in tackling them both to the ground— they were too busy to even see me coming. I rolled off Puff and began hammering punches into Unarmed. She was good though, and we traded blows before Puff tried hauling me off of her. He got a headbutt and a broken nose for his trouble. Unarmed seized her chance and and let loose with a vicious right hook to my jaw. Every time she swung her fists, I could hear a faint whistling coming from her hands, no doubt some sort of power, and when her punch hit home, I felt the bones in my face crack. Luckily, falling to the floor meant that Puff spat fire into _her _face instead of mine. I kicked Puff's legs out from under him and smashed his head with the butt of my Amp as soon as he hit the ground. Unarmed was still reeling from the fire, which would probably have killed a normal person twice over, and I seized the opportune moment. With a yell, I charged forward and delivered a massive uppercut that actually lifted her off the floor. I was again conscious of the roar of the crowd, I sheathed my Amp and raised a fist. They actually bought that cheesy shit, going wild. I laughed inwardly, and brushed the dirt from my clothes. "That wasn't hard," I murmured to myself. A clanking sound came from behind me and my gate opened for a second time. Out strolled Nexi, with an annoying grin on her face. She flicked out two collapsible metal batons , "Not bad, Magneto. But you'll never beat me."

"We'll see about th-" There was a rush of air, and a baton cracked against my face. It hurt like hell and I was nearly thrown to the ground. Nexi was standing in front of me, so I swung. My Amp hit nothing but air. Nexi was a good fifteen feet away, and spinning one baton so quickly it blurred. _Great. Super speed._

She cracked a grin, "Don't feel too bad. I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch—"

"—And was in bed before the room was dark," I finished. "Muhammad Ali."

Her grin got even wider. And then the punishment resumed. She was so damn fast her power could have been teleportation if not for the breeze whistling past every time she struck. She was so damn fast, in fact, that I wasn't able to establish control of her _metal_ batons. If she had my brains, she would create a vortex and suck the air out of the arena, guaranteeing her a win. But luckily for me she doesn't and was too busy showing off. She zipped around the arena and dashed in every few seconds to give me a good whack in the face, always accompanied with taunts about how much I'm like a snail. I pretended that I was trying to create a giant metal construct to stop her and every time she attacked me, I deliberately shattered it, making her think that she was doing damage. In fact, her attacks, while they stung, were really only hurting my pride. I mean, come on. I heal so fast that _bullets_ only leave scratches. I was really focused on creating a ball of finely woven metal threads in my hands. I grinned with satisfaction when the ball was done, and thrust my hands outwards. Thousands of threads shot in every direction, and anchored themselves in the walls. I laughed when my speedy opponent had nowhere left to run and found herself tangled in a metal spider's web. I walked over to where she was currently trapped, moving the threads out of my way with a wave of my hands. She was shaking her body frantically, trying to get out of the web.

I couldn't help but smirk at her pointless actions and knelt down next to her, "How does it feel to slow down?"

"Okay," She returned my smirk with one of defeat, "You got me, Prime…"

"Yep." I laughed, "Yeah, I did."

"Or maybe you didn't." She interrupted before promptly vibrating her body so fast she was vibrating _through_ the metal. But, sadly for her, I've read too many comics and simply forced the threads to vibrate with her, so she was still stuck. "Come on, Nexi. I've read enough Flash to know what's up: that's the oldest trick in the book."

"You're a comic fan?" Her eyes widened, "Oh we're gonna get along _just_ fine!" She tried raising a hand to fist-bump me but her limbs were hopelessly entangled. I laughed and I put my fist out. Unfortunately, I 'missed' her fist and instead punched her in the face, knocking her out. Oh well. Two guys wearing black masks came in to drag her limp body away and a crowd-cheer later, three more gates swung open, and out came Ethan, Alfie and a girl I'd never seen before. She could have been my twin: She was Black, with dark brown hair and a blindingly bright smile. The eyes threw me off though; they were honey colored. Kindness shone out through them, and I almost didn't want to punch her. _Almost._ I was nearly fed up with this arena bullshit and I thrust both arms towards them. "Go to fucking hell." I re-absorbed all the metal threads and fired two rockets directly at them, making sure that they would hurt Female Me less than the other two. She looked at the rockets sailing through the air, gave them a warm, welcoming smile— her eyes glowing like Opal's had, only a hell lot brighter— and... _shot them right out of the air_. She was like a female version of Scott Summers, except that her eye-lasers were the brightest blue I'd ever seen and I could feel the heat given off from where I was standing. Wasting no time expressing my shock, I launched right at Alfie, and took him down in a tackle, planning to deal with Fem-Cyclops later. He grabbed my arm, lightning fast, and all I felt was white-hot pain as every bone in it ruptured. In panic, I grabbed him by the face and fired a shot, which knocked me back and sent him flying. I plated my right arm with metal as I waited for it to heal.

Fem-Cyclops was still smiling which honestly creeped me out. Feeling my bones realign, I shed the metal plating in the form of a shot directly at Ethan. He raised one hand, which was sporting a similar glow to She-Cyclops's eyes, and shot a laser that vaporized it midair, but he didn't expect me to come rushing in behind it, Amp raised high. I brought it down on his glowing hand and my weapon sizzled and sparked but, thankfully, didn't give way, and he ended up with a broken hand. I spun on one heel to deliver a kick to the face, which he ducked. Ethan tried to counter with a punch with his un-broken hand but I sidestepped, also dodging a shot from Cyclops's twin lasers, and followed up by slamming a foot into his chest, feeling ribs give way. He tried to get up, back against the wall, but slid down, mumbling "Ivy" before passing out, hopefully in agony._Why do I even hate this guy? Maybe it's the tattoos._

Before I could expand on my thoughts, something stabbed into my back and sent me sprawling. I grit my teeth and rolled out of the way, just to see two laser beams lance into the sand. Then the pain kicked in. Searing pain from the giant burns just above my kidneys. She-Cyclops had tears streaming down her eyes and lasers blazing from them, it was hard to tell if the roaring, whining sound was from her screaming mouth or the heat of her armageddon eyes. I narrowly avoided getting shredded in two as I jumped over the twin streams and used a quick burst of Iron Sand to dash to land behind her. Still not wanting to hurt her, I hit her as gently as possible. She hit the ground and grunted, and I pinned her arms down before hitting her again. I caught a laser blast to the side of the face, but she passed out, her face immediately returning to a kind smile. _What the hell? _I barely had time for the crispy skin to heal before two hands grabbed my head and squeezed. It was Alfie, and the agony… was indescribable. My mouth opened in a silent scream; it felt like my head was being torn to pieces. Somehow, through the blood-red haze of searing torture, I managed to swing my arm back, directly into his balls. His concentrations slipped, his hands left my head, and I spun to my feet, delivering an incredibly strong backhand that made him faceplant into the sand. He punched the ground on the way down and a shock wave rippled along it, sending me flying backwards along with a huge cloud of sand. _Shit! _It felt like a good few minutes— though it could only have been a couple of seconds— before I hit the floor but I quickly flipped back up and found Alfie walking slowly towards me, he had a slight limp, _No doubt from sore balls_, I gave him a lopsided smirk lined with sarcastic sympathy. He raised his trainer a few inches and slammed it down, sending another shockwave across the ground, but I was expecting it. I ran towards the shockwave and somersaulted right over it. I dashed again with Iron Sand to build up enough momentum to deliver one hell of a punch to his chin which left him unconscious on the floor with a slightly shocked expression.

The crowd, which had remained so silent that I forgot they were even there, roared so wildly loud that I was about to cover my ears when I noticed that they were cheering for _me_. There had to be a good couple of hundred people and they were all screaming their heads off for _me. Well, it's nice to have my badassery appreciated every now and then._

My vision was blurred and my head was throbbing but... I had won. I could still feel the excruciating pain in my back and face but the crowd needs pleasing, right? So I was too busy pleasing the crowd to notice that the guys in balaclavas had dragged off the three unconscious bodies again and I even missed Kristil's venomous stare in my direction.

_That's it, right? A smiley-chick who shoots lasers from her eyes and a wannabe Avalanche, plus Alex Summers 2.0. That's got to be all they're sending._ I groaned mentally as I heard the clink of another gate open. _Give me a break here. My brain was just set on scramble and my face feels like an overcooked sausage. Oh, and there's two holes in my back. And let's not forget that my __**new**_ _shirt is practically ash at this point. _Despite my mental protest, which Kristil was probably laughing at, David stepped out from the gate accompanied by another, slightly shorter figure behind him. When the figure came into the light I recognized it as a Liger, a giant hybrid of lion and tiger… and Dave had it as a _pet_! The Liger looked so damn awesome that I was debating whether or not to kick it's ass. Sadly, I had not patience left at this point. I was more than 100% done at this point; like 5000% done. Like stick a fork in me and get out the carving knife done. Calling upon my knowledge of Guardians of the Galaxy I shot a metal tendril from my right hand which quickly wrapped around David. I lifted him off the ground and began smashing him into walls. Left, right, left, right, left, right. Each impact shook the arena and put ever-larger holes in the huge cat didn't seem to notice, it just sat there and pawed the ground, seemingly amused by my performance. I raised David up, high, and slammed him down directly into the sand. The result was a huge dust cloud. I re-absorbed the tendril and sat down, exhausted. _Still easy._

A shadow formed in the dust cloud, like a cheesy kung-fu movie. David stepped forward, sporting a bloody nose but otherwise seeming fine. He smirked, "Really? That's your best?"

"No." I forced myself to my feet and brandished my Amp. "Come and find out what my best is."

He laughed, and charged. I did the same, but right before we intersected I slid underneath him, tripping him, and caught one of his feet with my Amp. I quickly rolled to my feet and began smashing him back and forth, but he twisted his foot and slipped out of my grasp. He jumped up and punched me. I flew across the arena and made my own personal crater in the back wall. _He… hits… hard._ I landed facedown in the sand, feeling the cool grit against my skin. _I think he hits harder than the Queer Scottsman._ I tried to get up, but it seemed like all the strength had gone out of my limbs and so I lay there, glancing warily at both David and the Liger, which still seemed to be too bored to do anything but stare. I managed to push myself to my feet just in time to neatly sidestep a punch from David. I launched backwards, putting some space between us and leaving a metal pillar behind. _Range is my friend, but I'm running low on metal._ I noticed that I had landed next to one of the gates, and a brilliant idea hit me. David charged at me again, and I waited until he was about five feet away. I ripped the gate from it hinges and smashed him across… well, across his entire body. I expected him to soar across the arena and land somewhere in the stadium— not to block the entire impact by lazily raising an arm. He yanked the gate out of my grip and smashed me across the face with it and a second later, I crashed into the wall on the other side of the arena and slumped onto the ground. I opened my eyes to see the ceiling, I was flat on my back, and I noticed _something_ that was hung just below it. A net made up of metal, no doubt to try and stop someone from crashing through; result of an uppercut from David or maybe even Opal. I focused on the bolts holding up the net and waited while David slowly made his way towards me, making a show of cracking his knuckles— the crowd was roaring for _him _now. _Oh it's on now. No one steal my spotlight. _As soon as he was in the center of the arena, I snapped my hands upwards and the bolts shattered, dropping the net.

He saw the move coming a second too late and only managed to bark, "Achilles!"

The Liger— Achilles— _pounced_. I blinked and completely missed him dart (_please_ don't say that this crazy cat is another Converted with super-speed) for me. By the time, I knew what I was going on, I was already pinned down with a pair of powerful feline paws. Achilles's muscles literally bulged from his body, the perfect pet for a guy with practically-Kryptonian strength. David was entangled in the metal net but wasn't wasting any time getting out. _Oh no you don't. _I flicked a couple of fingers and a few chains broke of the net and wrapped around the Liger's back legs and lifted him into the air, swiftly wrapping around him in a cocoon that only left him enough space to breath. He had raked his claws across my chest, _completely _destroying Alice's gift, not to mention cutting deep wounds into torso. _Fuck! What happened to __**not **__being barbarians? _I could hear Kristil's telepathic-laughter at that thought and started seeing red. _I've had FUCKING ENOUGH_. I snapped my fingers and the entire net wrapped around David's neck, strangling the air out of him. He fell to his knees, frantically pulling at the chains. He even managed to break most of them, but he wasn't fast enough to stop himself from losing consciousness.

_Pure genius strikes again,_ I thought, giving an exhausted, half-hearted fist pump to the crowd, whose roars had once again come to my side, _Even though the original plan was to absorb the net and blast the pair of them with rockets. I guess necessity really is the mother of invention. _I was, again, too occupied to notice the men carrying out David and releasing Achilles to follow them out.

_I can't decide if you're extremely intelligent or just incredibly stupid and lucky._

I whirled around to see Kristil standing in the archway that was all that was left of the gate. _I only know one French person that annoyingly smug…_

_I'm not smug, I'm just cynically overbearing._ Kristil smirked, and spun a hunting knife slowly in one hand. _Though I can see why you might get confused._

_So, you're the Boss battle then, _I tried to take control of the knife and make her impale herself but it refused to budge.

_Made from onyx and ruby, _She raised the twirled her weapon around her fingers. Now that she mentioned it, the creepy-looking black and red knife looked antique too. No doubt purchased with the money she wins from 'poker matches'.

_Really. I'm going to fight the mind reader. Well, you already know what I'm going to do._ I raised my hands, and all the metal in the room began to swirl above my head. The remaining gates, jewelry, watches, phones. The crowd will probably be pissed at me but I'd stopped giving any fucks right after the Liger showed up. A flick of my wrist and it was all shredded into scrap. It was not as big as I would have liked, but it served the purpose.

_Impressive, _Kristil thought with a smirk. _But insignificant._

_What are you talking about? You can't move fast enough to dodge-_


	11. Chapter 11: Blessed

I woke up next to Andi and Opal on a bench.

"ARGHWHATTHEFUCKINHELL?!" I sat straight up and bonked heads with Opal. "Where, why, how?!" I had a raging headache. It felt like the hangover from hell. My back ached and I noticed my torso was swathed with bandages. "Fuck!"

"Vince, relax." Andi put a hand on my chest and I relaxed, my rapid breaths slowing. "You lost, Kristil used some sort of telepathic attack on you."

_She would..._ "Cheating bitch," I muttered under my breath. "Well, at least I'm out."

"I should have warned you," Opal said with a rueful grin. "Kristil never loses."

I shrugged and rubbed my forehead, "I can feel it." I slowly laid back down onto the bench, "Ugh."

Andi flashed me a smile and got up quickly. "I'm gonna go look for a new shirt for you. Don't go anywhere." She left in the room with Opal, and my headache was so bad I almost forgot what I was supposed to do. _Right…_ "Opal…" I sat up and tried to not notice how badly the room was spinning. She put out a cautious hand, to steady me. I waved her away, "It's alright."

"I'm sorry, Vince. I shouldn't have let you go in there. I would have lost in maybe the second round, and you wouldn't have had to go through all that." She hugged me again and I didn't hesitate to hug back this time, resting my head on her shoulder, because yes, it hurt that much. She tightened her grip and took a deep breath. I noticed she smelled like raspberries and mint. _Pretty nice for someone who lives in an abandoned building. I would have expected sweat and sewer, but this is nice._

"Vince… you should probably lay down."

"Mhm…" I let her lay me down on her lap, and smiled. _Comfy._ And do you know what? I almost fell asleep. Bloody almost. And then the first explosion went off. _It's always something, isn't it?_ I grumbled, got up, and started walking to the door. More explosions rocked the building as I made my way up and out of the Pit, Opal following closely behind. There were holes in all the walls on both sides, but nothing seemed to be coming through. Yet kids everywhere were screaming and running in terror. _Oh, wait. Explosions, right._ And then I saw Kristil and her crew standing in a circle with Andi while everyone else fled. She seemed to be shouting something. I could hardly believe my eyes as I saw her take a hit to the face. _Where the hell did that come from?_ I saw her duck, dodge and stab at air, before sidestepping and flipping backwards, only to dart back with her antique knife. I've never seen someone move that swiftly, save for Nexi. And then I saw air bleed. And air turned into a black-clad figure with a slender ninja-like body, a metre-long combat sword that had a dull white glow and a silver mask with thin eye-slits. _Holy shit. INVISIBLE PEOPLE! _Kristil ducked under a deadly swipe of his sword and jammed her knife into his throat, (red) blood spurted out but he barely faltered as he countered. She dodged a split-second too late and was rewarded with a gash on her hand. I sent out a quick Mag pulse and saw the skeletons light up. _Oh my god, there's only five of them._ I expected a veritable army, from the amount of damage being done. But only five including the one who lost his invisibility. The other four were working in pairs— with one female and one male in each. I turned to Opal, "Hold on." I wrapped my arms around her waist and launched us right into the circle. "Kristil! I can see them!"

"Touche! Mind helping?!" She slashed the air and another body dropped. I nodded and fired a rocket at one pair… which they dodged with uncanny ease.

_Blessed. They're call themselves Blessed._

_Right. Why can't you just 'shatter' their minds?_

_I… Don't know. I've tried but their minds… trying to enter their minds is just as dangerous as trying to jump into a vat of radioactive waste._

_Right. Great. _ "Opal, swing left, Andi, up and to the right side balcony, rocket now!" Opal's fist crashed into a Blessed's face and they was thrown backwards, only to land on their feet— barely hurt— and all of Andi's attacks missed .

"Ethan, directly ahead of you! Alfie, right!" Kristil shouted her instructions at the same time. Ethan managed to actually hit a female Blessed with his plasma beams and disintegrated her arm, but she didn't even falter as she threw a pair of grenades into the crowd, which Iris quickly deflected. None of Alfie's attacks hit, the Blessed were simply too agile. Nexi did some damage but not as much as I would have liked since she couldn't even see them. Kristil was _still _fighting the first one and neither of them had managed to get one up on the other. _There's only five of them and_ _we can't even beat them. I'm running out of metal, fast. This building is too old for me to use the foundations for fuel, so I'm screwed. Andi's pulling the ink from clothes but that won't last long._

"David, one's charging right for you! Andi, Left this time and Opal, straight ahead." I swung my Amp and saw it crush a Blessed's skull and I followed up by smashing it into his chest. His body fell to the ground and he stopped moving. _Their weakness: you need to damage their brain and heart!_ I quickly thought and Kristil's eyes lit up as she heard it, _But_ _we still need a way to make them visible…_ An idea hit me, "Andi! do you remember the Holi festival?!"

"Vince, now is not the time." Hands covered in ink in the shape of blades, she swiped frantically, trying to fight off opponents she couldn't see. No doubt Kristil was trying her best to keep her team and Andi mentally updated on where the Blessed were, but she already had a full plate even though David and his Liger, Achilles, had joined in fighting the first guy.

"No, think about it! You made that huge ink ball!" I ducked under a sword and sent a magnetic shockwave in the direction it had come from; "And then you blew it up and everyone was covered in neon colors!" I saw her eyes widen, and she fell back into the middle of the circle, "Cover me!" She raised her hands and started forming a huge, brightly colored mass of ink just below the ceiling. _Kristil, we need to cover Andi._

_Your precious girlfriend is not my con-_ I sent the the details of the plan and received the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen. _Everyone form a circle around Andi, now!_ We closed and continued to fight a losing battle. David and Achilles were still helping Kristil, _And that means you too David! No arguing, I can handle myself. _David and his liger joined our circle, "Andi, come on!" Her eyes were screwed shut in concentration and she didn't answer me so I just fought harder. "Ivy, left, right, top! Nexi, one on your left and one directly ahead! Alfie, just maintain that shockwave wall!"

"Sheba!" I heard Kristil bark. A huge black figure jumped out from the shadows and grabbed the one visible Blessed with its powerful jaws. _Another liger!? _The size of the giant cat meant that it _had_ to be a liger but it was pitch-black and was obviously female— yet looked just as strong as Achilles. Kristil thrust her knife into the Blessed's chest as Sheba clamped her teeth around his head and _squeezed_... breaking his skull and strewing his brains all over the ground. _Two down, three to go_.

_Behind you!_ I listened to the foreign telepathic voice that wasn't Kristil's and spun around with my Amp, catching a Blessed in the side and sending her hurtling. I wasn't surprised when she landed on her feet. But who had warned me? I looked over to Kristil but she was occupied with trying to make another Blessed turn visible, it seemed you need to draw blood for them to lose their invisibility. Kristil's night-liger, however, was staring at me with glowing-yellow eyes and I could immediately tell— somehow— that it was her who had warned me. _So there's a telepathic __**liger**_ _too… this world just gets stranger by the second._

I glanced up and saw that Andi had nearly covered the entire ceiling with ink. I was just about to tell her to drop it when she did. A huge ball of rainbow colors splattered the entire room. We were all completely drenched. So were the Blessed. There was split second hang time as everyone paused, unsure of what to do. Opal was the first to lash out, knocking a male one across the room with a single punch. Everyone exploded into action, and I jumped next to Andi as we battled across the room. "Reminds me of San Francisco!" I kicked a Blessed and blasted it away.

"You and I remember that very differently," She replied as we faced another Blessed together. I was about to make a snappy comeback, but the Blessed slashed their sword diagonally across my face, from my hairline to the bottom of my jaw. I punched it away and continued fighting until I realized blood was pouring down my face. There were only three of them left, and now that they were visible, it was a hell lot easier. But they still jumped around like super-powered trapeze artists and we could only get a few hits in.

_Their knives are charged with RFI energy, _Kristil informed me when she noticed the blood, _You'll find it difficult to heal._

_Thanks for the heads up, mon ami._ I could feel my flesh slowly knitting itself back together but I had to keep fighting. _What the hell is RFI energy?_

_Ray-field-Inhibitor. It's the exact opposite of the radiation that gives you your powers. You did know that's where your powers came from? You don't need to be exposed to gain powers, but RFI's will still work on you. And us._

I knocked a Blessed's blade away and smashed it's head in sideways. _Fill me in later._ I launched forward to blast a Blessed from David, and we battled back to back. "Your girlfriend is a piece of work, you know that?"

He laughed, "I try to keep thoughts like those to myself at this point." He crushed a Blessed's skull with one hand while I threw a giant spear into it's chest, "But I've gotten used to the mind thing. It's a plus for the both of us anyways, I'll never be able to cheat." Two Blessed left.

"Really?" I started shooting bits of shrapnel sparingly, I barely had any metal left, "I wouldn't risk cheating even if she didn't have the mind powers. That knife of her's seems like it'd cut your balls off real quick."

David grinned and tossed me Achilles at a Blessed and the liger promptly tore chunks of meat out of her before she somersaulted away, "I'd never cheat on her anyways. The mind thing is more to boost her self-confidence. She's got self esteem issues."

"No way, who would've guessed?" I finally established control over the fallen's swords, it was probably difficult because of the RFI thing. The swords kept the remaining two busy enough that we managed to get even more hits in. Nexi grabbed one of the swords out of the air and used her speed to cut off the female's arm. Not that it stopped her. I sheathed my Amp and focused on controlling the swords. "The bitch is only a bitch because deep down inside she's hurting."

"That's exactly right." The tenderness in David's voice surprised me but I didn't dwell on it too long, instead choosing to invest myself in the rest of the fight.

We were all closing in on the Blessed who fought without sound, expression, or a word. Nexi stunned the female by cracking it on the head with her batons and Sheba and Achilles grabbed one ankle each. Ethan and Alfie attacked her from behind with shockwaves and lasers while blue-haired Puff the Magic Dragon blew fire into her face.

One Blessed left. Nexi twirled her batons, Kristil blew her hair out of her face and Ivy remained smiling as they got ready to rip him to bits when it spoke-

"Well now, Kristil. What a rude way to treat a guest." The voices was harsh and metallic yet noticeably human. It dripped venom and honey and made me feel repulsed but still somehow sounded sophisticated. Kristil's face went whiter than a sheet. "I can see now that you've done quite well for yourself on the streets," The voice continued, "You and your group of lackeys even managed to best five of me Blessed. You may be a failed experiment but I always knew you were a survivor."

Kristil took a deep breath, "A 'failed experiment' survived you, Monster." Her voice had lost all its confidence and smugness, she sounded like a scared child trying to desperately put on a brave front.

"Now, now. I have a name you know. It's rude to not call someone by their name. Didn't all that torture teach you manners?" _Torture?_ The Blessed folded it's hands, "But enough with you. It's the Tate I've come to see." The silver mask turned to face me. "Hello, Vincent."

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't recall meeting you."

"We haven't met, Vincent. Trust me, you'd remember." The Voice cackled maniacally, "No, I am familiar with you only because I know your father."

I could feel my heart speed up, and I tried to conceal my excitement. "My dad's dead. Should I be surprised that you can read a tombstone?" _He knows my dad? My dad's alive?_

"Now now Vincent." The voice adopted a scolding tone. "You and I both know that's not true."

"Fuck you." _Shit. Shit shit shit._  
>"My, my, such language. If Victor could hear you he'd be sorely disappointed." The voice clucked its tongue, "Oh well. I'm simply here to deliver something."<p>

"Why do I get the feeling that you were trying to deliver my fatal blow?" I said with a smirk. "Piece of advice; don't use metal to try and kill me next time."

"Oh, but that was never the plan." The Defiled raised an all white revolver, and I rolled my eyes.

"Really? A gun." I looked directly into the eyes on the mask; "You're going to shoot me. Brilliant. I wonder why no one's ever tried that before."

_Vince, you need to move. Now. _I heard fear in Kristil's thoughts, and immediately realized that I was probably fucked. "Oh Sh-"

The Blessed pulled the trigger and I jerked backwards. I clutched a hand to my chest, and looked up, in shock. "What…"

"A bullet I made especially for conduits. It's made of eighty-three different materials and charged with RFI energy. There's no way any Conduit on Earth could survive it, save for perhaps MacGrath… and me of course," I could swear the person on the other side of the Blessed was grinning, "I've just punctured your lung. And it's not going to heal this ti-"

A sword buried itself in the Blessed's head. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. "What? He did just shoot me."

"Yes. He did." Kristil's eyes narrowed, "You should be dying right about now."

"I would be if—" I tore off my bandages, "I didn't plate myself with metal." A plate of miscellaneous metals gleamed in the light, and you could clearly see the all-white glowing bullet lodged directly over my left lung. Andi and Opal breathed near-simultaneous sighs of relief, Nexi looked impressed, David nodded and Kristil rolled her eyes. I bent over and picked up the gun, "RFI energy, huh? I think I'm keeping this."

"You're not seriou-" Kristil's eyes narrowed as she found the answer in my mind. "You're an idiot. RFI energy is anathema to you." She turned to the Blessed, who was twitching on the ground, and stabbed him in the chest. Bye-bye Blessed.

I took the holster and clipped it to my belt and slid the revolver in. "Still keeping it. This is badass, it's like a golden gun for conduits." I grabbed an ammo pouch from the body and dumped it's contents into a pocket of my backpack, "This could come in handy."

Kristil said something (probably rude) in French as I shouldered my backpack. "Well, determined as you may be to kill yourself, I must thank you for today. You saved a lot of people despite being half-beat to shit." I crossed my arms and waited for her speech to be over. She shrugged, "That's all I've got to say." She turned around, and walked away. Nexi gave me a fist bump, David a handshake and Alfie a high five as they disappeared towards the living quarters. Ethan approached me, "Thanks for going easy on Ivy in the Pit."

I nodded, on edge for no reason. _There has to be some kind of metal in this guy's tattoos._

"She's a little… different, isn't she?" I asked, fidgeting and tapping my foot rapidly against the floor.

"She… she's got some kind of brain damage from Kessler's experiments."

"Kessler? The voice?"

Ethan nodded, "Yeah. The Blessed must be his puppets or something. I never found out exactly what happened, because she doesn't talk anymore, but… it must have been bad. Kristil's doing all she can to help her, but she's barely made any progress." He grimaced before clapping me on the shoulder, "Thanks again."

I grinned half-heartedly. "Hey, you might wanna get your tattoos checked out. I think they've got lead, maybe even arsenic in the ink."

He raised his eyebrows, "I didn't tell you I had-"

"I can feel them," I interrupted. "And something about them sets me on edge. Seriously man, get those checked." He nodded and shuffled off. Opal was next up, with a hug. She wrapped me in and squeezed me as tight as she could. If my bones weren't three times stronger than a normal human's I might have lost a few ribs. "Thanks Magneto." she whispered. I would have said you're welcome, but then she kissed me. I kissed back, and discovered that she tasted like raspberries and mint too. She quickly broke the kiss and walked away, heading to the left side of the building with the others. I guess they were going to the living quarters that I'd never seen. Andi wiggled her eyebrows at me as we walked outside. "You move fast."  
>"You'd know," I countered with a smile. "I still can't believe you're okay with that."<p>

"I can be generous with you, Vince. Especially for someone who wants it that badly." She gave me a peck on the cheek and a slug in the arm, "Now let's get some food. I'm starving."

"Someone who wants me badly…" I turned and looked directly at her, "Wait. Are you pimping me out?"

She laughed and grabbed my arm, pulling me down the street. " You're totally my bitch forever, Vince. C'mon, there's a Japanese place downtown that does decent sushi." I didn't argue as we left the destroyed building. Andi knew her sushi.


	12. Chapter 12: Gifts

**Sup?  
><strong>**So I may or may not have been sacrificing sleep to write new chapters of saying.  
>Keep on reading and being awesome! ~Zeta<br>Also quick update on Lavender Flight: Third chapter's in the works, but no eta on that. (Because I'm currently dumping all my creativity into Twisted Metal while also considering/planning writing a Frozen fanfic. I just need to flesh it out a _liiiiitle _bit more. It's gonna have some crazy cool shit, if it ever gets off the ground... FML. There's just not enough hours in the day.)  
>Also also, You guys should be reading The Second Kessler and Glass &amp; Hellfire along with this... All I'm gonna say is prepare to meet Ash for the first time, and prepare to meet Edward again very soon.<br>**

I woke up in the middle of the night for no reason. I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the moonlight streaming in through the window. I sleepily groped around for Andi only to find her missing from the bed. Immediately I sat up and looked around, blinking the sleep from my eyes and banishing thoughts of kidnappings. It was far more likely she was on the roof so I grabbed sweatpants and an undershirt before poking my head out the window and hoisting myself up. I scaled the side of the building quickly and quietly as a breeze gently ruffled the curtains below me. I found Andi on the roof, huddled in a ball, knees curled up to her chest and head between her knees. I slowly walked over and sat next to her. I didn't say anything, just put my arm around her and pulled her into a warm hug. The sobs came softly at first but eventually she was shuddering and wheezing for breath. It killed me that all I could do was hold her. She refused to share what exactly Abstergo had forced her to do… the most I knew was that they strapped her into some kind of machine. Still, I held her close and traced shapeless patterns on her back while whispering comforting nothings into her ear. "I've got you, baby. I've got you. Nothing will happen to you, ever. Nothing, nothing. I swear, nothing. I love you, I love you." She didn't answer and I didn't expect her to. We just sat there, rocking back and forth. A tortured angel and a broken man, clinging to each other like we were drowning in the moonlight.

* * *

><p>I woke up again when the sun's rays hit me full on in the face. I groaned and raised my hand to block them, "Andi."<p>

"Hmm. Turn the light off, Vince." She snuggled closer and buried her face in my chest, "I'm trying to sleep."

I smiled and lowered my chin onto the top of her head, "I'm sorry, baby. I can't turn off the sun."

"What?" She looked up and blinked as the sun hit her face. "Shit. Tell me we didn't fall asleep on the roof."

I chuckled and tucked some loose hairs behind her ear, "Looks that way, doesn't it?"

"Damn." She stretched and yawned, "C'mon, let's go down." I nodded and we both walked to the edge of the roof. I let Andi go down first, and used my thrusters to float to the window. I made my way to the bathroom, making a pick out of metal. _When I sleep I end up with a frohawk. Time to restore the afro to it's natural glory. _I grabbed my toothbrush and with one hand squeezed toothpaste onto it while the other hand tried to restore my fro to a somewhat circular shape. Andi came in behind me with a change of clothes and turned on the shower. "You wanna dig around the place and see if you can find a curling iron and a blow dryer?"

I shrugged but provided no verbal answer as my mouth was currently full of toothpaste.

She pursed her lips and batted her eyelashes at the mirror, "Do it for me?"

I gave an eye roll and a grunt as my response. She grinned, pecked me on the cheek and got into the shower. The door slammed and I heard the water start as I spit into the sink. I left right as she started humming the chorus of 'Feel so Close'.

* * *

><p>"Ay yo Fetch!" I banged my fist on her door. "Fetch!" I heard a great deal of mumbling and cursing from the other side of the door which eventually opened a crack. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was disheveled. She looked furious and I swear I saw one of her eyes twitch.<p>

"You better have a goddamn good reason for waking me up at eight in the morning, kid."

"Andi needs a curling iron and a blow dryer, so I was wondering if-" The door slammed in my face. I heard a cacophony of crashes, slams and swearing before the door reopened. Fetch re-opened the door and thrust a blow dryer at me with a murderous glare.

"There. She's on her own for a curling iron. And if you wake me up again before 11:00 I will blast you into tiny little chowder chunks." The door slammed in my face again and I heard Fetch mumble something before everything was quiet. I turned around and ran into Delsin in the hall. He looked surprised to see me, whether that was because it was so early or because I was right next to Fetch's room, I didn't know. I could make a good guess, though."What're you doing down here?"

I shrugged. "Getting a blow dryer for Andi." I looked at the door, and back towards Delsin. "I wouldn't go in there. She threatened to blast me into-"

"Little tiny chowder chunks?" His eyes were glowing with suppressed mirth. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"You guys…" I rubbed the back of my neck, awkwardly. "You guys don't sleep together? I kinda figured, you know..."

"We do," he acknowledged with a shrug. "I don't usually stay for mornings though, obviously." He looked at the bright blue blow dryer in my hands, "You need a curling iron too, huh?"

"Yep. But I'll be damned if I'm going in there." I stepped aside, "You're welcome to try."  
>Delsin puffed out his chest, "And try I will. Into the she-dragon's lair I shall bravely venture." He marched to the door but paused with his hand on the doorknob, turning to look at me with a grave expression on his face. "Don't tell her I called her a she-dragon." With that, he disappeared inside. I was laughing softly to myself as I waited in the hall. I didn't hear anything for a little bit until a resounding crash came from inside. I winced as I heard Fetch get up and start screaming at Delsin. The door opened and he flew out, a curling iron in hand. I caught the last scrap of her rage fueled, sleep deprived sentence.<p>

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE THE _INDIAN _IN THIS RELATIONSHIP! WAKE ME UP AND I'LL FUCKING SCALP YOU!" The door slammed so hard I saw the wall crack. Delsin facial expression was stuck in between outright laughter and abject terror. Silently, he handed me the curling iron. We stood there, observing the door and the foreboding cracks in the plaster. Delsin was the first one to break the silence.

"You know, I've never had _anyone_ threaten to scalp _me_." His lips twisted into a wry grin and he chuckled, "It's usually the other way around. Then again, I haven't said that since like middle school."

I grinned back, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I owe you one, bro."

He nodded, "Could you do me a favor, then?"

"Sure."

"Stop killing people."

I narrowed my eyes involuntarily. _I know where this is going._ "By people, I'm guessing you mean the DUP."

"Yes. Well, no. Sort of." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair and under his beanie. "I mean stop killing _most_ of them. I can understand the necessity for lethal force," He raised a finger, "But you should think about what you're doing before you do it. I'm not going to tell you to only kill someone unless there's no other option, but… It's be nice if that's what you did." He sighed again and folded his hands "We've got a lot of public face to save. Conduits, I mean. The world still fears us, sees us as freaks. I get that I've done a lot of good, but…" He turned his head to look up at me, "We need to show them that we're better than the Dupes. We need to prove that we're not mindless killers, that we're just as human as they are. Well, human," He watched smoke curl up from his palm and smiled, "and then some. But do you get what I'm saying?"

I nodded, slowly. "I get you. It's just… You've never been to Curdun Cay, so you don't know what it's like. They did things to me, but more importantly they tortured Andi." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clenching my fists so tightly that the nails bit into my palms and drew blood. "They experimented on her, they did things… She won't talk about it, but last night I found her on the roof crying like a baby. Kristil said her mind was so shattered that any normal person would be comatose. I don't know what happened, but Abstergo and the DUP put her through hell."

Delsin raised his hands, "Whoa, slow down. Kristil? Abstergo?" I sighed and briefly explained my exploits yesterday. I could tell he was having trouble processing the fact that super powered kids lived in an abandoned theater and they had a modern day gladiator arena, but I kept on until I finished.

"So… While I was out cleaning up Dupes you were fighting super-teens in a makeshift colosseum?" He rubbed his forehead, "And I thought my life couldn't get stranger." He watched me with curiosity, "That David guy had a pet Liger?"

"Yeah." I laughed, "I'd show you the scars but I heal pretty damn fast."

"And then you were attacked by invisible super ninjas that claimed to know your father?"

I held up a finger, "One that claimed to know my father. And then I buried a knife in his face, after he shot me, and took the gun."

"The gun that supposedly kills any conduit?" He tilted his head, "I'd like to see that."

"It's upstairs. I can show you later, but right now..."

He grinned understandingly. "Right. Later. But you still didn't explain what Abstergo is."

I waved a hand, "Don't ask me that. Please." He must have seen the look in my eyes because he dropped it. There was an awkward silence and for once I had nothing witty to say.

Delsin coughed. "So, you gonna take that stuff back to Andi?"

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks." He nodded and I turned around to head back up the stairs.

* * *

><p>I opened the bathroom door and was hit by a wave of steam. "Andi, I got you your stuff."<p>

"Great," came her reply. "Now come hop in the shower with me."

I did a little happy dance and shed my clothes as fast as I could. I jumped into the shower and let the heated water wash over me. Andi was standing with her back to me and she handed me a loofah and body wash. "Found this already in here. You need to clean up."

I sniffed the body wash, "Peaches? You want me to smell like Peaches?"

"Better than sweat and sand," She said with a smile, turning around. "I could always help you clean up…" I had no response as I let my eyes wander over every inch of her body. She realized and let out a snort of laughter. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"You get more beautiful each time," I whispered. She flicked my nose and leaned forward to give me a gentle kiss, but stopped at that.

"You'd better get cleaned up."

I closed my eyes, summoned all of my willpower, and started scrubbing my chest with the peach soap. Andi chuckled and turned around, resuming washing her hair. "After you finish, can you get my back?" She asked with a coy smile.

I just scrubbed faster.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later and I smelled noticeably better. Andi had finished her shower and was now going through the process of drying her hair. I was digging through the closet till I found appropriate clothing. Black jeans, black combat boots, a grey army-style jacket and a white shirt that I could get Andi to cover in ink.<p>

I went down to the garage to see if I could do anything for my once-again-ruined car. And imagine what I felt when I found it completely repaired with a brand-new paint job— the words "Bane of Shadows" painted in beautiful cursive along one side and a silver and purple dragon that was so badass that it made Smaug look like a pussy bitch. _Andi. Is. The. Best! _

Upon closer examination I noticed between the headlights was a chrome Decepticon symbol and a small note attached. I pulled it off and read it.

_How have your adventure's been, Vince?  
>I thought that one shirt was a pretty lame gift to try and make up for transporting you out of Curdun Cay with a horror book.<br>So, when I saw your car was wrecked, I thought: why not?  
>I hope you appreciate how hard it was to paint that dragon.<br>And there's another few presents for you and your friends in the trunk.  
>If you thought it was hard to paint a dragon, it's a lot harder to create a pocket dimension in a car trunk to make it larger.<br>Oh and and the car now has a top speed of about 400 kph.  
>Enjoy,<em>

_Alice in Wonderland. _

I read it again... And again. And… again. _Why couldn't she put that in MPH? KPH, like I know what that is. I'm American._ Then I dashed to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. The first thing I saw was the painting of the Scotsman, Origami chick and 'Jace' which I picked up and placed to the side. The rest of the trunk was filled with boxes and there were so many that I had no idea which one to open first. I looked between all of them, and picked one that seemed to be emitting a strange energy. It was almost calling to me, and the feeling got stronger as I tore it open and saw that it was one of those weird stones she'd taken from Curdun Cay. _For you and Andi to share. It's called a Blast Core, and I think you'll like it._ I stuffed the core in my pocket, and picked up a muted lavender guitar case.

_Sweet, a guitar!_ I tried to flip the latches open, but they wouldn't budge. I peeled off the note and read it.

_Sorry, Vince. This one's for Andi. You can keep the case though._ I tried to open it a few more times, unsuccessfully, before putting it on the ground and going through the rest of the boxes. I peeled a note off a box wrapped in Flash wrapping paper. _For the fast one._

I laughed to myself when I saw what was inside. _Okay, now that makes sense._ Inside was a suit that looked a lot like the classic red and gold Barry Allen wore in the comics. Except this one was black and silver, and looked smaller. Which makes sense, I'm pretty sure Nexi and Barry don't share measurements.

I put it back in the box and opened another note. _You love clothes, right? I made you some. They're also virtually indestructible, because you seem to go through shirts like I go through books. _I took the first item out of the box, a shirt that had Tesla and Edison fighting, Tekken style. I closed my eyes and tried to rip the shirt. Nothing happened. I opened them and tried to tear it with all my might, but still not a single thread out of place. I was tempted to run upstairs and shoot one of them with the 'golden' gun, but decided to just throw the shirt back into the box. The next few boxes had more clothes, all supposedly indestructible.

_I can't believe it. Christmas came early._ I had only a few boxes left now, and I grabbed a note off a small one wrapped in ice-blue paper.

_For your __**other**_ _girlfriend. There's no way that can possibly end well, you know._

I rolled my eyes, _Everyone's a critic._ I opened the box. All that was inside was a simple bracelet made out of steel with a rectangular blue stone in the middle. I put the lid back on, and re-wrapped it carefully. I was down to my last three boxes. I read the note on the one wrapped with silver paper and back ravens flying across it. _I understand the need for privacy, especially in your own head. Thought and Memory. _ I opened the box and inside was a simple leather cuff with a steel plate on it. It was engraved with strange runes which I guessed were Norse.

_Hmm… Thought and Memory?_ _Oh, I get it. Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens of legend. Hah, Kristil eat your heart out._ I immediately put it on my right wrist, my left being occupied by a watch. _Hella._ I opened the second to last box, which had a note that simply said _For Kristil._ Inside was a raggedy old stuffed animal. I couldn't tell, but it looked like a lion.

_Weird._ I closed that box and moved onto the last one. I opened it and inside was a small vial that was labeled _drink me_. _For Ethan, but Ivy's the one who needs to drink it._ I shrugged and put the box back, and gathered all the ones related to myself and Andi into my arms, including the guitar case, before heading upstairs. I managed to make it without dropping anything and I kicked open the door, "Andi! You've got mail!"

"What?" She turned around, topless. "Close the door, come on." I kicked it closed and dumped all the boxes onto our queen-sized bed. "Check it, you got a guitar and a 'Blast Core', whatever that is."

"Who is this from?" She asked, picking up the case and to my dismay, easily flipping open the latches.

"Alice in wonderland. You know, the creepy book lady-" I saw her expression of shock as she stared at what was in the guitar case. "What?"

"It's a sword." She hoisted it out of the case almost reverently, "A sword." She picked up a note and quickly started to read it. "The hilt and guard are made of of black zirconium. The blade, as you can probably tell, is a blend of purple and blue obsidian, to match your eyes. Its name is 'Zhǎnshǒu' which, you already know, means 'Decapitator'. It's a chinese tang, sorry about that sweetheart, I know a katana would have been more appropriate but trust me, you'll like this blade. It cuts through… pretty much everything, as far as I can tell. The inscription on the handle is-"

"Oculum pro Oculo," I read. _A Chinese sword with a Latin inscription?_ "An eye for an eye?" Andi took a deep breath, and gently lowered the sword into the case as she kept reading.

"I'm aware that you're familiar with that blade and all it's properties, but I had to write that in so Vince wouldn't be left in the dark. Take care of it, Andrea. It's come a long way to be here. And always remember Rowan's last words: 'No matter what, you will always be part of the creed' clutch those words to your heart. You are the last one, it is your duty to survive." She crumpled the note and sighed before wiping away the tears that pricked her eyes, "I was hoping never to see this again."

"You've seen it before?" I asked, curious.

Andi nodded, "Yes. It's like I can't escape this…" She shook her head, trying to clear it. "Never mind. What's the blast core?"

"Dunno." I pulled it out of my back pocket, "It came with instructions, though." I unfolded the paper attached to the core, "'Absorb it.' Huh." I sat down on the bed, and held out one end of the core to Andi. She grabbed it, and nodded. "On the count of three, then. One, two-"

"Wait." She let go of her end, "We should probably do this outside."

"Oooh, because it might go boom, right?" I tucked the core into my jeans, "Well, let me change into my 'indestructible' clothes."

"Really?" Andi smirked as I dug through the boxes, "She made you indestructable clothes?"

"Apparently she made you some too." I tossed her a box full of different outfits, "They're all white, so you can color them however." Her face lit up and she immediately grabbed a shirt, tracing multi-colored designs along it's surface. I slid into jeans, a Black Mesa half-life shirt and an indestructible version of my favorite jacket. _Yay!_

* * *

><p>We stood together in an empty lot a few blocks away, the car at home to make <em>sure<em> that we didn't damage it. That thing had a penchant for punishment.

"So, ready?" I asked. Andi nodded and grasped the other end of the core. "One, two, three."  
>I tried to absorb the energy from the core and immediately I was whipped backwards by a huge wave of energy. The core disappeared and I felt energy racing up and down my body. I was lit up like a christmas tree. Then the pain kicked in, and before I could scream I blacked out.<p>

"Ugh, shit." I woke up with sand in my mouth. I spat it out, and rolled over. "Andi, you alright?"

"Remind me to never listen to you ever again," She groaned as she forced herself to her feet. "I always end up unconscious somewhere."

"Now that you mention it," I got up and cracked my back, "I really don't feel half bad." _Something's different._

Andi stretched, bending down to touch her toes, "You're right. No headache, nothing. I feel a little light on my feet, actually."

"Really? I feel… stronger. More anchored. Focused," I said with a grin.

"Well, let's get back home." Andi smiled and slugged me in the arm before yawning, "We can grab breakfast and then go whale on some Dupes to see if we can do anything new." I nodded, and she ran forward and leaped. Instead of flowing effortlessly up the side of a building, she spun around in a circle, ink quickly enveloping her. She nearly disappeared inside a cocoon of purple, swirling ink. And then the cocoon burst, and she re-emerged. With wings. Bloody. Fuckin'. Wings. They spread wide and caught the air as she soared upwards in a graceful spiral. I immediately launched after her and caught her in midair. Her gorgeous wings folded behind her and disappeared when we landed on a roof. Andi's eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open in shock. "Holy shit."

"Holy shit," I agreed. "I think you can fly now."

"I think I can fly," She said with a nod. I blinked, she blinked, and I just stood there for a while, with her in my arms. Eventually, Andi took a deep breath and opened her mouth to say something that I would remember for years to come.

"Hooooly sheeeeit."


	13. Chapter 13: Wings and Rings

**Hey!  
>Next chapter already? Whaaaaat?<br>Read and review, if you liked it, if youve got suggestions, or if you wanna help me improve my writing.  
>~Zeta<strong>

"Wings?" Delsin asked, as he tore into a stack of pancakes as we all crammed into a booth at Denny's.  
>"Wings." Andi answered with a nod. She took a sip of her coffee and a bite of her sausage.<p>

"Wings." Fetch looked impressed and noticeably less enraged; I guess she got her beauty sleep after all.

"I-I have w-wings." Eugene added before drinking some orange juice through a crazy straw.

"Bigass, brightass, muthafahkin wings," I added. "Seriously."

"And you got these from something called a Blast core?" Delsin asked, more curious now. "Where'd you get a 'Blast Core'?"

"Alice in Wonderland," I replied. I got weird looks from all around the table, but I shrugged. "That's what she calls herself. You'll meet her if she wants to see you. Otherwise, I've got no idea how to find her."

Delsin swallowed more pancakes, "So what new powers did you get, Vince?"

"Pfft. Haven't found out yet. So far, no enhanced jump."

Delsin shrugged and offered a smile, "Who knows? Maybe you'll get something _really_ cool, like the ability to make a giant metal dragon."

"Holy shit that would be awesome. I hope I get that." I shoveled a forkful of bacon into my mouth, "But I think I can already do that."

"Seriously?!" Delsin almost choked on his pancakes. "Dude, why didn't you say so?"

I laughed, "Because it never came up. Seriously, when would it ever be practical to for me to make a giant metal dragon?"

"We can put it on top of the house! Andi can color it and Fetch can light it up! It'll let everyone know where the coolest conduits in tow chill out." He said, laughing.

Fetch rolled her eyes, "Yeah. And make it _really_ obvious for anyone nursing any kind of grudge where to find us."

"Sorry Abi." He pecked her on the cheek, and returned to the last of his pancakes. "I forgot you were still at war with the Russians."

"Plus, th-the roof might cave in," Eugene pointed out. "B-besides, how would we keep it from rusting?"

Andi rolled her eyes, "Hello? Girl with wings, still here."

"Right, right." I gave her a sheepish grin, "Sorry." She replied by ruffling my hair with a grin. Fetch facepalmed. I ignored her, "So why _are_ we meeting here?"  
>"One," Delsin held up a finger, "I was hungry and so were all of you." The pile of empty plates on the table were testament enough to that. "Two, I been thinking…"<p>

Fetch let out a groan,. "I told you t' stop thinking. The last time you tried thinking, we ended up trying to fly a helicopter while Eugene sprayed confetti out of the side." She elbowed him with a grin, "Leave the thinking to Eugene; he's the smart one." Eugene blushed, and Delsin snorted before carrying on.

"Anyways, we need to go to Curdun Cay. To set free all the Conduits that are still inside and to help them readjust to society. But first," and his face turned serious, "We need to meet with the President."

Andi raised an eyebrow, I spit out _my_ coffee, and Eugene started choking on his home fries. Fetch slapped him on the back and he coughed up a soggy wad of potatoes.

"Gross," Andi said, wrinkling her nose. "And the _President_? Of America?"  
>"No, of Oprah's book of the month club." He chuckled, "Yes, the President."<p>

"And why?" I asked. "I bloody hate wearing suits."

"We need to convince her, Vince," He stopped to laugh at the rhyme. We all just stared at him until he cleared his throat and continued. "We need to convince her that Conduits aren't dangerous to american society as a whole. That we're not Bioterrorists."

"No." Andi spoke up from beside me, shaking her head. "All the government ever wants is to turn Conduits into weapons."

Delsin raised a hand, "Look, I get that you have beef, but-"

"No." Andi's voice had gone dangerously quiet. "I do not have 'beef'. They took _everything _from me. _Everything._ They locked me up and tortured me and ripped me apart and mashed me back together, like a five-year old getting impatient and shoving random jigsaw pieces together to try and complete the puzzle. The picture you get will never, _not ever_ resemble the original." Shocked silence reigned at the table, and Andi stared into her coffee. "Never," she mumbled. I quickly put my arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. She just rested her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. I looked over at Delsin and shook my head.  
>"We're not coming." He nodded, and we quickly finished breakfast and left. We split off from the main group, and got into the car. "Andi?"<p>

"Yeah?" She sounded like she was somewhere else, somewhere far away…

I started the car and reached over to give her hand a squeeze. "Let's go hit up the Converted for a little bit. A few days, maybe. We have gifts for them anyways."

"Right." She snapped back to attention and smiled dazzling at me, "And of course we get to see Opal."

I snorted and backed out of the parking lot, "I'm the one supposed to be romancing her, remember?"

She smirked seductively, "Doesn't stop me from appreciating. By they way, what did she taste like?" I slammed on the brakes so hard I almost crashed.

"Wh-what?" I managed to stammer out, my face turning bright red.

Andi laughed and ran a finger down my chest, "Did she taste sweet? Salty? Better than _me_?"

"I, I, I—" I took a deep breath, slammed on the accelerator and raced down the street, buying myself time to compose myself. I took a couple deep breaths and calmed myself down.

"She tasted like raspberries and mint. I wouldn't say it was better than you… You taste smoky, hot and sweet. She's more cool and crisp." I said all of this in monotone voice while keeping my eyes glued on the road.

Andi laughed and draped her arms around me. "You _like _her. I've only seen you get this flustered when you tried asking my dad for permission to take me to prom."

I rubbed my forehead, "Ugh. Never remind me of that. Ever."

"I thought you looked cute in that suit." She kissed me on the cheek before sliding back into her seat. "Even though you hated it."

"You're damn right. It was hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. It was way too tight and I felt like it would rip from me breathing too hard." I punched the steering wheel, "Never again."

Andi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you will if I tell you to." She leaned over again, and gave a husky whisper that sent chills down my spine. "Because. You. Are. My. Bitch." She nibbled on my earlobe and I nearly crashed the damn car. Andi just laughed, "You'd better not get us a ticket."

I had no response. I was trying to control my breathing, my heart rate and my _lust._ I shook my head as I pulled into an alley. I pulled the emergency brake and hopped out of the car. I walked over to a brick wall and introduced it to my face. Hard. Several times. After I was satisfied, and the wall was a whole new shade of red, I made my way under the plastic sheets that separated the Converted from the rest of the world. Andi sighed as she followed, "You're so damn melodramatic."

"I can't help it." I noticed she was carrying the guitar case. "When did you-"

"I didn't. It was in the trunk so I assumed you put it there." She looked around, "Where is everyone?"

"That's a damn good question." The theatre was dark, empty. Not a sign of life remained, there weren't even any bodies of the Blessed lying around. "The fuck?"

"Wait," Andi walked over to one of the many doors on the walls, where she must've seen something, "Look." She tore off a note that was stuck on the doorframe and waved it at me.

"What is it with everyone's sudden penchant for leaving notes behind?" Seriously.

"I don't know," She replied, "But I think that's the first time you've ever said '_penchant'._" She added with a sideways-smile, "What I _do _know is that this is definitely the most useless note that we've found." Walking up to me, she handed me the note. The side I was looking at was empty and when I turned it over… so was the other side, "Just a piece of paper." Andi sighed.

"Not necessarily." Why would they leave a plain piece of paper _stuck_ to a doorframe? When the entire place is abandoned? It _had_ to be a secret message, "Can you get a small fire going?" I asked Andi when I noticed that she looked confused.

"Sure." She undid the latches on her guitar case and pulled out Zhǎnshǒu.

"Urr… Andi? I said make a fire… not 'decapitate' me." I noticed she smiled again, her eyes twinkling slightly, "Please?" I added.

"Just watch." She ordered me with an amused note to her voice. She pulled the sword out of its sheath and I swear the super-sharp blade _sang_, as it moved through the air. _Damn! She'll have __**no**_ _problem cutting my head off with that… _She handled it confidently, as if she had used it hundreds of times; and when she twirled it through the air a couple of times, it looked as if it was _made_ for her, the way the handle fit perfectly into her palm. I hadn't seen the blade because Andi had left it in the sheath when she saw it first. But now I just had to agree with Alice, it was _perfect _for her. The entire weapon was made out of precious gems and the purple and blue obsidian blade was the exact same colours as her eyes. And to think, this blade looked like it was hundreds of years old. Beautiful, old and deadly. And so damn scary it made Kristil's onyx knife look like a toothpick. She struck the ground with the tip of her blade and sparks flew off the concrete. The surety of her movements and the exact precision of that tiny strike made _Andi _look like the weapon and Zhǎnshǒu just an extension of her body. The end of the sword burst alight like a torch and I was completely lost for words as I marvelled at the beauty of the obsidian sword, the dancing fire on the end that didn't spread to the rest of the sword— an ingenious invention, a sword that can _harness_ fire safely as another weapon— the defined curve in as the blade reached a tip, in line with her eyes; those violet orbs that gleamed in the firelight, full of diamonds and tempests at the same time— "EARTH TO VINCE… VINCENT TATE DO YOU COPY?"

"Oh, what?" I realized I had been staring at her like an idiot, "Huh?"

"You wanted a fire, genius!" That smile still tugged the edge of her lips.

_What for? Oh, the secret message!_ "Oh, right." She shook her head at me.

"Sometimes I question your usefulness as my bitch." She held her sword out to me, the flames desperately reaching for the ceiling, only a few inches away from my chest.

"I'm good at something." I held the note over the fire, and smiled as letters began to appear, "I just can't think of what that is at the moment."

"Smashing things. Kicking ass. Making me feel like I belong, anywhere and everywhere. You're a great lover-" She stopped and gave me a wink, "Not to mention my personal savior." Her voice adopted a serious tone and the sparkle in her eyes was dulled. "I don't know how many times you've saved me from myself. It's safe to say that without you I wouldn't be here."

"Hey, now." I reached over and tilted her head to face me. "Give yourself some credit. You've saved _me _more than I saved you. You're my anchor, remember? You're the reason I fight."

Andi smiled, and my heart soared. Immediately a goofy grin worked its way onto my face. The moment was shattered when Andi sniffed and wrinkled her nose. "Something's burning."

"SHIT!" I dropped the paper and immediately began stomping on it. Andi just started laughing, and though it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard, it didn't help. The fire was soon quashed under my shoe and I rubbed the bridge of my nose, irritated with myself.

"I can't believe you forgot about the paper," Andi said with a smirk. Her eyes were glowing with mirth and I groaned inwardly. "You really didn't feel the flame?"

"No," I admitted, sheepishly. "I was lost in your eyes again…"

"Jeez." She bent over and picked up the nearly-burnt paper. "I need to start putting up signs in there so you can find your way out."

"Do you not understand? Your eyes are like a whirlpool, I get sucked in—"

"It's code," She interrupted. "Luckily you didn't burn this part, it looks like an address. C'mon, I'll drive." She dropped the rest of the paper onto the edge of her sword, and let it burn before sheathing it and heading to the car. I trailed behind at first, but she turned around. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"I don't need a picture," I reminded her, as I hooked my thumbs through her belt loops, pushed her out the entrance and leaned her up against the car. "Every night you refresh my memory."

"Mmm." She tilted her head upward and we spent a sweet, sweet moment playing tonsil hockey before she pushed me away, gently. "We should get going." She wrapped a thick red ribbon around the sheath of her sword, and knotted it around her waist.

"Right. Where are we going?" I opened the door and flopped into my seat.

She laughed and slid into the driver's seat. "Further into the industrial district."

I made a face of disapproval. "Fun times."

* * *

><p>We walked into an abandoned warehouse, arms full of boxes, just in time to see Kristil and another blonde girl hashing it out. I saw the blonde scowl, flip Kristil off and walk away, her eyes flashing golden.<p>

"What was that about?" I asked with a barely contained grin. _Anyone who pisses her off is cool in my book._

She remained silent for a second, and then her eyes widened. I figured Hugin and Munin were working. "Nothing of your concern."

"Riiight. Anyways we brought gifts. Can you get your crew? Specifically Ethan, Ivy, Nexi and Opal?" Surprisingly she didn't question, and a few minutes later...

"For you, Nexi." I tossed her the box wrapped in the Flash's lightning bolts. She gave a squeal of delight when she tore it open. "OhMyGodThankyouthankyouthankyou!" She whizzed out of the room, presumably to go give the suit a test spin. I laughed and moved on to Ethan, "Where's Ivy?"

"Sleeping." I nodded and passed him the box. "It says it's for you but Ivy has to drink whatever's inside."

"Really?" He took out the vial and held it up to the glowing orbs of light. "And it's not poison? Ah, forget it. If it is, she'd be better off drinking it anyways." He left us without another word.

_And that's depressing. You gonna let him do that? _ I asked Kristil, wondering if she could hear my thoughts.

_It's up to him. I see you know Alice._

_In Wonderland?_

She smirked, _Is there another one?_ She raised her left wrist which was covered in a band similar to mine. _Old friend of mine. I can't see your thoughts now, unless you want me to._

_So I can send you my memory of that gore thread from 4chan?_

_What… _She immediately slammed her eyes shut and put a hand over her mouth. _Oh my god. Oh. my. god. That is entirely revolting. Why would you even…?_

I chuckled, _Don't worry about it._

_God! I'm going to puke! That is absolutely horrid! _She gagged and I heard her retch as I turned around to smile at Opal. She had a hand over her wide-open mouth and was looking slightly amused, slightly horrified. "What is in your head?" She asked.

I shrugged and tried to put an innocent expression on my face. "Nothing."

"I beg to _fucking _differ," Kristil managed to cough out.

I shrugged and handed Opal her bracelet. She batted her eyes and fanned herself with one hand. "For me? Oh, Vince."

"I'm going to fucking barf again," Kristil muttered, her face pale.

I rolled my eyes and kissed Opal before slipping on the bracelet. Andi was fangirling over to the side as Opal kissed back enthusiastically. This went on for a few seconds until she broke it off, "I have to go see Iris."

"Right." I watched her weave away through the crowd.

"You're one evil bastard," Andi said as she looked over at Kristil.

"Fuck you."

"Play nice," I said while shaking a finger at Kristil. "Or you won't get your present."

"You have a present for me?" She managed a weak smirk, "I don't want anything from you." She turned and walked away.

"Really?" I took the small lion out of the box. It had a bell attached to it's neck so I gave it a little jingle. Kristil froze. Slowly, she turned around to see the Lion in my hand. I shook it twice more, "C'mon, let's bury the hatchet." She didn't hear me. She was in a trance as she moved forward to gingerly pry the lion from my hands. Her face was full of wonder as the lion was carefully examined from top to bottom. She bit her bottom lip and her eyes started to glisten. _Kristil, Are you crying?_ She didn't answer, instead tucking the lion under her arm and walking away, briskly. "Kristil?" _Are you alright?_

She stopped, turned around, and quickly pulled me into an awkward hug. "Thank you." She then practically ran out of the room.

"What'd you do to her?" I followed the deep voice to it's source. David. His arms were crossed and he was looking less than pleased.

"Nothing. Just gave her some stuffed lion is all." Immediately his face softened, and he seemed almost… Happy? Sad? Both?"

"A stuffed lion?" He asked, sounding like he couldn't believe what just happened. Like I'd come back to life after three days in the ground or something.

"Yep. What's the deal, D?" I waved a hand in front of his face when he didn't respond. "D."

"Can I borrow that?" He quickly pointed at Hugin and Munin who graced my wrist.

"What?" I looked at the leather cuff. "Why?"

He shrugged and grinned. "If I'm going to borrow it, I can't tell you."

"Oh. Well, here." I unsnapped it from my wrist. "If you don't give it back I will track you down and quite possibly kill you."

His grin only widened. "Thanks. I owe you like you wouldn't believe."

I smiled and backed up, just a bit. "Just don't hug me and make it weird."  
>His grin diminished into a smirk, and we touched fists. "Hey, wanna come to the canteen with us? Everyone is packing up and getting ready to go."<p>

I looked at Andi and she shrugged. "Sure. We've got nothing to do except each other anyways."

David raised an eyebrow as I nearly choked on my own spit. Andi patted me on the back sympathetically. "Oh, I almost forgot." She gave an apologetic smile to David, "There's Opal, too." He burst out laughing and I could feel my face turning a whole new shade of crimson.

* * *

><p>"This place is freakin' huge!" The 'canteen' they'd taken us to was indeed bloody <em>huge<em>. There were three giant rooms, and David led us to a room that was painted with a single red stripe along otherwise gray walls. The inside was plush and decorated, with red as the main theme. Red velvet couches, stained oak tables, an aquarium underlit with red lights and filled exclusively with red fish, red colored-bulbs on the chandeliers and rose-tinted windows. The rectangular tables were arranged so that Kristil and the rest of us were slightly elevated, with others below us. I pulled out Andi's chair and received a kiss for my troubles. I noticed that David squeezed Kristil's hand when he sat down but she hardly responded. Instead she looked directly at me.

_Why?_

_Why what?_ I pulled out a menu and began perusing the choices.

_Why did you give David your bracelet?_

_He wouldn't tell me precisely so you wouldn't know. _I offered a soft smile, _But I don't think you need to worry about him._

"Where's Opal?" Andi asked Kristil.

"Ah, she's dining with the rest of the Blues." She sighed and composed herself, "I supposed it is time that I explained how our system works. We are divided into three classes based on colour of our blood: Ambers, Blues and Reds. Ambers and Blues are weaker than us, powerwise and otherwise. They have the need to eat four to ten times as much, depending on if they've used their powers. Ambers are really the weakest. Their powers are next to nothing and they need to eat the most. Iris is an Amber, albeit one that is _slightly_ stronger than the rest. Most of them can only accomplish little tricks like switching on the lights by blinking. Blues are next. They're the widest on the power spectrum, with powers in the category of Ambers to power that rival ours. They however, also share the need to ingest large amounts of food to fuel themselves and they can get sunburnt quite easily. Reds," She gestured, "Are us. We've got the strongest powers and we don't burn ourselves out or need a cartload of food to keep going. We also have a healing factor-"

I interrupted with a laugh. "Healing factor? Don't flatter yourself." _Hmm… Should I get sushi or burritos?_

"Quite. Now there is a council. It's made up of the strongest reds, and some blues like Opal and Jim." _Jim?_

_Puff the Magic Dragon, you called him._

_Oh yeahhh!_

"Really?" Andi said with raised eyebrow. "That's hardly fair representation."

"It works." Kristil countered. "Everyone gets fed and everyone stays happy."

_Not everyone,_ I reminded her, bringing up what Opal said in the alley. Kristil dismissed me with a wave of her hand and a bored look on her face, "You should have seen what it was like _before_ I came…" Kristil mumbled under her breath so that only I could hear.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you, about, Vince." David folded his menu and placed his hands on the table. "I want to offer you a spot on the council."

The word "taken" flew out of my mouth before Kristil could shut me down. "Now, when is the waiter coming? I'm starving."

* * *

><p>Two Carne Asada burritos and one 24-piece rainbow roll later, I was full. Andi was working her way through a third ribeye steak and Kristil looked almost relaxed.<p>

_I am relaxed,_ she confirmed with a smirk. _I'm always relaxed._

_Do I have to raise the images of that particular-_

_Pfft. figured out how to block those, Vince. Though I must say you've discouraged me from poking too deep into your head ever again._

_Really? What about the lion then?_

_That… _Her face changed expression, from smug and relaxed to earnest and… humble?! _I don't think I can ever thank you enough for that._

_Lemme guess,_ I twirled a chopstick in one hand, pretending to be bored.

_Don't. I'm just starting to like you and I don't want to go back to hating you. I could use more friends. _

My eyes widened and the chopstick clattered onto the plate. _Bullshit._

_I'm afraid not. _She smiled but her eyes were haunted and sorrowful, _As you can imagine no one likes having their secrets exposed. David and perhaps Sheba are the only people I can confide in. And one of them's not even a person._

_Well, gee. Maybe you'd have more friends if you weren't such a hostile __**bitch**__._

_Maybe you could have __**saved Andi**_ _from Augustine if you'd __**fought**_ _harder, _she shot back.

I grit my teeth, _Fuck you. Like you'd fucking know anything about that. Like you can come in my head AND TALK SHIT! Augustine would have massacred you in an instant. All the mind tricks in the world won't save you when there's a metric ton of concrete rushing at your damn face!_ I stabbed a knife into the table and everyone jumped. _You like to __**pretend **__you're_ _**better**_ _than everyone but when it comes down to it you just hold people back! In a fight even the lowliest Amber is worth more than you, and you're comparing yourself to me?! Fuck you, bitch. You can't even __**survive**_ _a goddamn __**bullet **__to the __**face**__, you sack of shit. _I twisted the knife, and wood splintered as I leaned forward, glaring daggers. _Come back and talk to me when __**you **__can do that._

Andi had an arm out across my chest, holding me back, but the other hand was on her sword hilt. When had she moved Zhǎnshǒu diagonally across her her back— ninja-style— instead of her waist? David looked ready to throw down, right there. Kristil's eyes bored into mine and I stared right back. The silence grew in the room as everyone noticed what was going on. We waited till the tension was at it's peak, then burst out laughing at the exact same time. I let go of the knife and sank back into the very comfortable couch.

_Did you see the looks on their faces? _She asked with glee. _We had them!_

_Yeah, they totally fell for it. Seriously though? Don't ever bring up my fight with Augustine again._

_Water under the bridge._ She offered her hand and I kissed it with a smile. She wiped it off with her napkin afterwards. _Ugh, dog slobber._

_Says the bitch._

_Touche. _She smirked and I rolled my eyes.

David cleared his throat. "If you two are done with… whatever that was, I hope you won't mind me interrupting. I've got a gift for you, Kristil."

She turned to him with a dazzling smile, silver lipstick reflecting the candle-like light "Yes?"

"Oh my god, they're just like us," Andi whispered.

"You're not a bitch," I oh so_ helpfully_ pointed out.

"But you're _mine_," She reminded me, leaning over to gently bite my neck. I elbowed her in the ribs, reminding her that we were in public. She flicked my face in annoyance, returned to her seat, and we both faced Kristil and David, waiting. He was down on one knee and fumbling with his pockets.

"I had it somewhere," he muttered. I sent out a Mag pulse and found what he was looking for.

"Left hand side, chest pocket." He looked at me thankfully and pulled out a small, black, velvet box.

"Kristil."

Kristil wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face. "David, that box better not be what I think it is."

"It is."

She shook her head, "No. David, no. You… you can't, I'm telling you no."

"But I am." He opened the box and inside was a simple silver band with three small emeralds embedded on top. "Asma Kristil D'Alia, will you marry me?"

_What a name!_ I leaned back and whispered, "Lot of drama the first few days we've been in town, huh?"

"Shut up!" Andi whispered angrily. "You'll ruin the moment!"

I was shocked. "You _care_ all of a sudden?" Her fist crashed into my face and I had to watch the rest of the scene from the floor.

Kristil was silent, hand over her mouth. The waterworks were on full blast now; the stream of tears running down her cheeks could rival the Nile. There was a long pause, long enough that I thought she might say no. She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yes. Yes, of course I will." David exhaled a sigh of relief and the two embraced. I heard Andi sniffle and I couldn't help but grin.

"You two will make the perfect couple," I heard myself say. "You'll grow old together, I can just see that. And who knows? Maybe with time, Kristil will mellow out and stop being such a b-" In the blink of an eye Andi's sword was out of its sheath and pressed dangerously against my throat. Her eyes blazed with a murderous fire and I swallowed nervously, feeling the incredibly honed edge prick my skin. "Er, I mean, maybe you'll just grow old together. Or something."

David laughed, "Or something."

"Or something," Kristil agreed, still wiping away tears. Andi withdrew her sword and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"So." I got up and sat in the chair. "I bet you guys need bitchin' wedding rings, right?" The newly engaged couple looked at me with blank stares on their faces. I grinned jauntily, "Well, guess who just happens to specialize in bitchin' wedding rings?"


	14. Chapter 14: Council

**Next chapter :)  
>Thanks for reading and resewing.<br>Stay awesome.**

**~Zeta**

"You. You make rings?" David asked.

"He's not lying," Kristil confirmed.

"I've been storing precious metals ever since I learned about my powers."

"You can do that?" Andi asked, laughing.

"Yep. You could say I'm actually made of gold. And platinum. And silver."

Andi realized where I was going, and slowly shook her head. "I can't believe you. Is that why we robbed all those jewelry stores?"

"Yep."

"Unbelievable," She muttered. "un-freakin'-believable. I thought you burned the gold!"

I couldn't resist grinning, "Nope. Only fenced the rocks."

She sighed, "Damn it, Vince. You couldn't just pawn the gold."

"Where's the fun in that?" I asked with a grin.

Andi rubbed the bridge of her nose, irritated. "Please tell me you re-cut the stones."

"Yes I did, love." I gave her a kiss. She returned it. We broke apart and I went back to sipping my drink.

Andi leaned over again and whispered in my ear, "You think _we_ could get married some time?" To my credit, I didn't choke on my drink.

"Sure. Right after I kill Kessler and find my dad," I teased.

She pretended to pout. "You're so mean."

"Awww." I patted her on the head with a grin, "If you really want to, I'll propose right now."

She choked on _her_ drink. _Finally, sweet, sweet revenge._

_You two are complete idiots._ Kristil said with a sweet smile.

_The idiot who's gonna make you wedding rings. If you don't want yours coated with lead dust, shut it._

_I could get used to this banter. It's stimulating._

_I already like it._ _Of course, ask me out loud and I'll deny it. _We smiled at the same time.

Andi recovered and wiped her mouth. "Not funny," she grumbled.

"It was for me. Hey Dave, can I get my band back?" He nodded and I gladly took Hugin and Munin from him.

"On that note, it's time to hold a meeting of the council." Kristil stood, and apparently sent out a mental message. Everyone stopped what they were doing and quickly organized the tabled int chairs into a haphazard oval. Kristil turned to face me, "Andi has to leave."

I nodded and walked her to the door, and hugged her. "Hide." She pulled away and noticed that I'd wrapped Hugin and Munin around her wrist. I turned around and headed back to my place at the table. Sheba, the black liger, slinked past me and almost gave me a heart attack before she curled around Kristil's seat and allowed her to stroke her fur, glaring at me with its feline eyes. The fact that the oversized cat could _talk _still creeped me out.

There were a few familiar faces. I saw Puff the Magic Dragon holding hands with Alfie, Nexi in her new suit, Ethan and Ivy sitting next to each other and that blonde that had argued with Kristil earlier. She was apparently trying to burn Kristil alive with her stare and she stared back with a toothy grin as if having some psychic battle. Doing a quick head-count, I realized there was around thirty-to-forty Converted in the council and about a quarter of them looked as if they were ready to back up the blonde.

Achilles wandered in, brushed past David, and lay down next to me. I hadn't come so close to the liger before and it's sheer size was intimidating— he was almost as big as a car— but I found myself scratching him behind the ears anyway.

"Now that we're all here," Kristil said, gazing around the room, "We need to talk about the Blessed attack. I'd like to know why you all fled, leaving only us and the Prime," she nodded at me, "to fight off the Blessed. We are the protectors and must act as such."

"You say that as if we're undefeatable," spat the blonde.

_Eliza, _Kristil corrected me. _She's a Red who creates illusions. Still believes in the old system that the Converted followed before me, the one where she had a __**lot **__of influence._

"We're not all _killing machines, _thank you. My power had no effect on the Blessed and I did not intend to die fighting a losing-"

"So you admit you're useless?" I asked with a smirk. "Glad we got that out of the way."

"Shut up," Eliza snapped. "Why is he even here? He's not one of us."

"You're right. He's not a Converted, he's a Prime. And despite not being one of us, he stayed to fight the Blessed thereby protecting the rest of _you_." Kristil's words dripped venom and I was glad that I wasn't on the receiving end. Eliza just stared at her defiantly. There was probably some mental exchange going on.

_There is._ The voice that emanated from Achilles startled me.

_You can talk too?_

_My mate isn't the only talented one._

_Sheba? _The black liger.

_That's the name head of the human pack gave her. _Kristil.

_Anyone ever tell you cats don't talk? _I smiled. Time to gauge this cat's sense of humor.

_Anyone ever tell you that humans smell funny?_ He looked up and met my eyes, unblinking. _Because you do._

_Touche, my cat friend. So, do you do anything besides mind tricks?_

_I can teleport,_ he thought as he began to wash a paw.

_So you're like the cat equivalent of Lockjaw?_ I apparently hit a sweet spot behind his ear, because he started purring.

_If you must compare me to a dog. But I'm better. A little to the left, please._ I complied and his purring got louder.

_So why do you even bother hanging around with us? Out of curiosity._

_It's a mutualistic relationship. I protect you, you scratch my itches and feed me._ He blithely rolled over and exposed his stomach. I began to pet him with long, lavish stroked and his gentle rumble went up a few notches. It sounded like a car engine. _Like right now._

_You actually like this?_

_Don't you? I see that you enjoy your mate playing with your fur._

I felt my cheeks heat, _It's hair, not fur. And yes, I do enjoy it. A lot._

_Well then you understand._ He rolled over and got up to place his forepaws on the arm of my chair, gazing into my eyes. I stared right back. Then, unexpectedly, he started licking my face.

_Ew! Gross, down boy, down!_

_Your fur is all messy and out of place. I'm fixing it._ He continued with his slow, methodical licks.

_It's fine! Now down! _ I shoved him off my chair. I swear he was grinning at me.

_There. Favor repaid in full._

_Well, it's better than getting licked by a dog._ I frantically brushed my hair down with my hands to give myself some semblance of looking normal.

_I agree. I also have a killer itch at the base of my tail._

I sighed and began scratching the base of his tail. Achilles stretched luxuriously, curving his spine and kneading the carpet with his claws. _What're they talking about?_ I asked. _I've stopped paying attention._

_Actually, Eliza is about to ask you a question._ I looked up just to catch the last snippet of a question

"— paying attention?" Eliza said with a glare.

"Yes, I have been. I think that-"

_They've been talking about the food problem. Joshua offered the solution of building up stores of non-perishables._

"— Josh has the best idea. You all need to start stockpiling instead of spending a ton on a la carté meals. Also—"

_They addressed the current situation with the blessed. Many were pushing to hunt them down and kill them._

"I think you're a bunch of idiots." A low murmur started at that statement but I ignored it and pressed on. "Yesterday you didn't even stand up to them, and now you're out for blood? We barely held our own against _five_ of them. For all you know, there could be hundreds out there, you don't have the manpower." I noticed a few people were nodding their heads in silent agreement. "Screw your powers and the healing factors, they've got powers stronger than most of yours, and do you really think Kessler only has five? That maniac probably has enough numbers to be like Russia: they just throw people at you until you run out of bullets. Metaphorically of course. And besides, do you _really_ wanna go looking for Kessler? _Really_?" I saw more than one head shake, answering my question. _Anything else, Achilles?_

_Well Eliza currently hates you. And you should follow that last statement up with something about playing on the defensive._

I nodded and continued. "You need to play defense. Fortify this new hideout. Assign guards, bar the doors, start training an army if you have to. Gladiators do not an army make."

Kristil arched an eyebrow, _Alright, I'm impressed. You actually were paying attention._

_Pfft, fuck no. Achilles had my back._

_Of course._ Her head slowly sunk into an open palm. _God forbid you ever focus on anything._

_I am focused. On the telepathic 600 pound liger sitting next to me._

_God._ Kristil raised her head slowly, looking wearied. _I just want this to be over. _

_Well you __**did**_ _just get engaged. I imagine you and David want to… celebrate?_

_Well, it's also incredibly tiring. If I don't have the energy to 'celebrate' after this, I'll kill Eliza myself. _We listened as several delegates argued back and forth over idiosyncrasies. _We're worse than the US senate._

A chuckle escaped my lips, _Nothing can be worse than the senate._ I was rewarded when the corners of her lips curled upwards.

"Care to share?" Eliza spat. "It's obvious the Prime and our leader have lots to say to each other, and the rest of us would like to know."

I lazily waved a hand, "Oh, we were talking about the wonderful isle of Nunya."

"Nunya?" Her eyes narrowed, "We sit here debating the future of the group and you two are planning romantic getaways?"

I wasn't sure whose facepalm was louder, mine, Kristil's, or Nexi's. David rolled his eyes and Alfie seemed to be fighting back laughter.

"It's the isle of Nunya buisness, Eliza." The exasperation showed in my voice but at this point I couldn't care less. "It's a fucking joke. Maybe if you didn't have such a big stick up your ass you'd be laughing with the rest of us."

"What?!" She shrieked. I saw Achilles wince.

_She makes unpleasantly high-pitched sounds._

_I feel ya, buddy. _ I rubbed the top of his head, _So, she's yelling at me, I assume._

_Yes. _

_Do I want to know what she's saying?_

_It's amazing how easily you tune people out, _he countered while avoiding my question.

_I learned in school._

_Be careful. She is an illusionist, and her growing frustration may prompt her to-_

My arm burst into flames. I stared at it, wondering how in the hell that happened.

_It's an illusion, Vince. See through it._

_I do. It's just trippy as balls._

_How are balls 'trippy'?_

I sighed and scratched Achilles under the chin. _Never mind. Is she done screaming?_

_Yes._

I sighed and turned to face Eliza. "You're incredibly boring. Next time just punch me in the face or something. Are we done here?"

"No, we are not done!" She hissed. "I demand-"

"That I pull out the stick? Well I dunno, it's pretty far up there. I'd need hella lube." Nexi gawked at me while Ethan hid a smile behind his hand. Alfie and Puff was bent over double in silent laughter, Kristil was outright grinning and David absolutely lost it. Unfortunately so did Eliza, who leaped over the table, furious, and reached for some kind of concealed weapon.

A blur shot out from the corner of the ceiling. It collided with Eliza and sent her sprawling. Before she could recover a sword was pressed against her neck. Andi smiled menacingly at the other girl. With purple wings spread wide, black hair trailing down past her shoulders and amethyst eyes smoldering with an eerie fire; she looked like the Angel of Death.

"I would think _**very**_ carefully about your next move," She said in a near whisper. Her wings folded and faded but she didn't sheathe her sword. Eliza gulped and crawled backwards until she bumped into the wall. Andi smiled, sheathed her sword, and hopped over the table to sit on my lap. "That was fun."

"You were in the ceiling? How and why?"

"An assassin never reveals her secrets," she said with a grin.

"Great." Andi just laughed and turned around, trying to get comfortable. I slid my arms under hers and hooked them around her waist, letting my chin rest on the top of her head. "You know I could have taken her."

She smiled. "I know. But that was hilarious."

"Indeed."

"You're warm and soft, Vince. Why are you so warm and soft? " She asked, fighting off a yawn.

"I'm not warm and soft. I'm cold and steely," I deadpanned, in my best impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

She chuckled, "Alright then, governator. Whatever helps you sleep at night." She closed her eyes and moved her head to my shoulder.

I sighed. The rest of the meeting flew by, and before I knew it Kristil had called an end to it. The whole ordeal had taken too long. It was dark outside by the time we finished. I was about to get up when I noticed that Andi was snoring softly. I couldn't help but smile. She rarely slept so peacefully. I gently picked her up off my lap, bridal carry style, and made my way out of the canteen and down to the car. I placed her in the passenger seat, wincing when her sword bumped the top of the car. Luckily she didn't wake up, and I was able to drive her home and carry her up all the flights of stairs without incident. I tucked her into bed and took the sword off her back, placing it right next to the bed. I crawled in after quickly brushing my teeth. _One interesting day, huh?_ With that last thought, I drifted off into sleep.


	15. Chapter 15: Stained Glass

**Ayyy lmao**

**So, want a better look at Vince's gun because I didn't describe it? There's a link on my profile. **

**Chapter 15?! Damn. That's cray. Like, how long have I been writing this?(Protip: only for one month.)**

**Keep reading n' bein awesome.**

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It started as a rumble. That's what woke me up, the rumble. The entire house was shaking and for a second I thought I was back in California. Then there was a huge _boom!_ The windows blew inwards and there was a brilliant flash of light. I was wide awake at this point, and was at the gap in the wall where there had once been a window in a split second. The smell of brimstone and smoke rolled over me but I ignored it and focused on the red and black mushroom cloud. I didn't even notice the bits of glass digging into my feet until Andi brought it to my attention.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

I shook my head. "Let's get over there. Now."

"Right," she muttered. "Yeah, great idea, babe. Let's go _towards _the giant explosion... Couldn't we just go back to sleep?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? There's a hole in the wall." It took a few seconds for her to register that the explosion had in fact put a hole in the wall.

"Shit. I'll get Zhǎnshǒu." She sprinted around to the other side of the bed while I started searching for jeans.

* * *

><p>I landed hard on my feet, in the middle of a sizeable crater. Andi descended gracefully and lightly, hovering a few feet above the ground before dropping.<p>

"Fuck." Everywhere I looked, there were broken shards of metal, concrete and faintly glowing glass. _Glass._ "Fuck."

"You're damn right," said a faint, unmistakably Scottish voice. A cough followed, and I saw Edward and Jace, lying side by side half buried under a miniature mountain of rubble. Jace was unconscious, but looked otherwise no worse for the wear. Edward, on the other hand, was cut up, bloodied and torn. Huge gashes crisscrossed his chest— which were slowly healing before my eyes— his nose was obviously broken, and his blond hair was now red and seriously messy. I wasn't sure, but his right arm might have been dislocated.

"I'm tempted to leave you," Andi said with a smirk. "But you'd just get out." She sent out a pulse of ink that lifted away half of the debris. Edward moaned in agony as a particularly heavy bit of concrete was lifted off his shoulder. "God, that burns." I could see his suit clearly now that there was barely anything covering it. It honestly looked like a lightweight version of Iron Man's armor, with concrete grey replacing red as the main color. I would have normally say that it looked badass, if it wasn't torn in various places… but the main thing that ruined its potential awesomeness was the DUP logo emblazoned across his chest, almost unrecognizable through all the blood.

I kicked him in a particularly bloody spot, eliciting another groan. "Yeah, well. Maybe you should have thought about that before you threw down with…" I looked around, "Apparently me. Who tried to put you in the ground, Scottie?"

"What?" His eyes narrowed, "They weren't yours? They had metal powers. Don't lie to me." He tried to growl the last bit but, in his pain, it almost came out as a whimper. _What could have hurt him so much? In our fight, he_ _**almost **__won, yet here he is beaten— literally— to a pulp. And Jace too… according to Andi, he's even stronger than Edward. _

"Go to hell, Eddie." I was about to stomp on his face when I heard a gun go off a split second before a bullet struck me in the back of the head. I spun around to see who _dared._ It was dupes. In white instead of yellow, and they had GOLIATH emblazoned on their chests and a Celtic design in the shape of a diamond on their shoulders. _Well, the DUP's been replaced… by more DUP. These guys don't look too dangerous._ I fired a shrapnel blast back at G-man number one. He raised his hand and my shot curved wildy, missing him by a mile.

"Vince? What the hell?" Andi asked, "You haven't been raising an evil army in secret… right?"

"No." I turned to Edward and encased his arms in metal, doing the same to Jace. "Stay here, Eddie," I growled. "Wouldn't want you to have an accident now would we?"

"Just bloody knock me out already," He complained with a grimace.

"No." I kicked him again and walked away, to face the G-men.

They were all on the floor. Andi twirled Zhǎnshǒu before sheathing it, walked over and gave me a kiss. "I got bored of waiting."

"Wha… How?! Where are their heads? Why didn't I hear that?" I tugged on my hair with both hands, frustrated. "I didn't even get to use my cool new gun!"

Andi grinned. "I'm an assassin, remember? There'll be another time to use your—" she noticed the holster and revolver strapped to my hip, "When did you get a gun?"

"After the Blessed shot me with it." I took it out and spun it around my finger. "Neat, huh? I'mma call it Durendal."

"Is it a .44 magnum?" Andi asked, looking closer.

"I thought that too, but I haven't shot it yet. The bullets look about that size." The gun itself was strange. It looked like someone had taken the grip and the cylinder, moved it halfway up the silvered barrel, then tacked a muted-orange rail and half-barrel onto it so that the gun would actually fire. Andi took the revolver and looked down the sights.

"Durendal, huh?" She dragged two fingers along the sizeable barrel, leaving the word 枯れる in midnight blue.

I pretended to read the Kanji, "Cool."

She rolled her eyes, "You don't know what it says, do you?"

"You're the Japanese one."

She smirked, "It says 'Wither'. So when you shoot someone, they'll be cursed to wither."

I scratched the back of my neck, "Can they really wither if there's a hole in their face?"

Andi rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Maybe it'll wither their soul."

"Bloody hell!" I remembered that Edward was here. "Jus' get me out of here already."

Another car rolled up, and Edward opened his mouth to complain more. "Now we're dead."

Three men got out of the nondescript, government sedan. They were wearing white knee-length coats with the Celtic diamond logo and black leather underneath. The creepy part was the masks that they wore which looked like extra skin stretched across their face… and made them look like they had no face. But I couldn't tell if they even _were_ masks. _They had to be, right? _

The men made no sound as they advanced towards us. I sighed, "Here goes nothing." I raised Durendal, aimed, and pulled the trigger. One G-man jerked backwards and his head slammed into the car, destroying the window. Needless to say, there was a nice hole in his forehead. _And I didn't even have to use both hands._ I pulled the hammer back and aimed at the second one, who had pulled a small silver ball with a blue band of light along the side out of his pocket. Some sort of grenade. A pull of my trigger and _boom._ But he ducked away and jumped towards me. I could feel that there was a lot of metal under that outfit but when I tried to control it… I just _couldn't_. With a swift sling of his arm, he sent the grenade towards me and Andi. Andi turned her body into ink so that the explosion wouldn't hurt and I quickly constructed a metal shield with some of the metal lying around. The explosion… well let's just say it wasn't what I was expecting. A shell of white light expanded from the tiny metal sphere and hit Andi first. Her body reverted back to her original form and she fell to the ground, gasping for air as if she was drowning. The light hit me a second later, passing straight through my shield. At the start it just felt like a strong breeze but then my vision went out of focus and my muscles seized up. I was on the ground before I even knew I was falling.

"Shit!" I heard Edward. The feeling was slowly fading but nowhere near fast enough. The remaining two men were slowly walking towards us, the tension was so thick I could have cut it with a knife— that is, if I could _move my body_. The edges of their cheeks were protruding, suggesting that they were smiling under those creepy masks. My vision went back into focus and I could see Andi. She was on her feet— thank God— and had Zhǎnshǒu drawn. I tried controlling some of the metal on the battlefield but it refused to budge, even though I didn't even need to move my body to control small amounts of metal, I just needed to focus. _I am __**fucking**_ _focusing! Why aren't my powers working? This __**better**_ _not be that RFI shit Kristil mentioned. _

"We only require the males," One G-man said to his partner. His voice were strangely deep, as if he was gargling pebbles.

"Dispose of the female?" The other asked. His voice was slightly softer, though lacked none of the menace.

"It would be suitable revenge for our fallen colleagues." Deep voice answered.

"Yes" Soft voice agreed before pointing his arm (the one with the steel whip) towards her and the whip uncoiled itself like a snake and darted towards her. She neatly dodged the whip and ducked under another swift bite of the weapon before rolling towards Softy and thrusting her sword towards his chest. He dodged but Andi darted for him again, before he could retaliate and ducked under a fist before attempting to stab him in the back. But, fast as she was, she still wasn't fast enough. Deep had his own whip uncoiled and it wrapped itself around Zhǎnshǒu. With a mighty tug, he pulled her body towards his before levitating one of the sharp shards of metal strewn over the crater.

_Bang!_

Deep staggered back, clutching his chest and releasing Andi, "You missed!" She shouted.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose in annoyance. The paralysis had mostly passed and I was on my feet, my body only feeling _slightly _sluggish but I still couldn't use my powers. _This better be temporary or I'll castrate the pair of them _ "Give me some credit here. I'm shooting one-handed." I pulled back the trigger and aimed again. "Feeling lucky?" I muttered as I squeezed the trigger again. This time I hit my mark. The G-man crumpled to the ground and I dumped the empty casings and added three more rounds. "I've officially got 69 conduit-killing rounds left." _Heh, 69. _I turned to Softy and pointed Durendal at him.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Vincent." He hissed. _Great, he know my name.__ Which clinically insane maniac doesn't nowadays?_

"And _you_ have no idea how many freakin' times someone has said that to me… before dropping dead!" I stated, pretending that I was the jolliest man on Earth. I squeezed the trigger. _Bang!_ But Softy jumped out of the way, unnaturally agile, and wrapped his whip around Andi's neck and pulled her in front of him, in my line of fire. _Shit shit shit. _The blood rushed to Andi's face as the air quickly escaped from her lungs.

"Perhaps if you didn't spend so much time running your mouth, you could have saved your—"

A shard of glass penetrated his shoulder and he jerked backwards, giving Andi the space to thrust Zhǎnshǒu backwards and into his stomach before jumping out of the way to let me finish off the job with Durendal. I rushed over to Andi and pulled her into a hug, the familiar wave of power rushing back to my veins. _Oh yeah, powers decide to come back when I don't even need them any more… the sass!_

"You're welcome." Edward grumbled from the ground.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked, it'd sure as hell be easier for him to just let Softy kill us.

"If that bastard killed you two, I'd probably be next." Okay, so he only wanted to save his own hide. I wish I could say I was surprised. I'm really not.

"Well, we gotta watch out for those grenades," I said, turning back to Andi, "and we're definitely lucky that I've got this." I raised Durendal.

"Definitely a "sword of the air"," Andi noted. "Let's get the Scott and the Albino to Kristil's place. We'll find out what they know there."

I nodded, holstered my pistol, and walked over to pick up Edward in a fireman's carry.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck you," he wheezed. "Fuck, my ribs."

"Shut it." I took a running start and launched to the roof of a building. "We've got a long way to go."

* * *

><p>I waited in a separate room with Jace. He eventually woke up, and I smiled. "Hello." He said nothing, so I continued. "Jace, right? Well, you can relax, I don't work with the G-men that attacked you." I allowed that to sink in, then gestured to his cuffs. "I know those won't hold you. If you use your powers you'll just blow right out of them, right?"<p>

Silence.

"So you may wonder what's keeping you in here. Because the resulting explosion would destroy this room, certainly. And that means it would destroy this." I whisked a white sheet off the painting with all the thrones. "Yours, right?"

His eyes widened. "Where… How do you have that?"

"It was in the back of a APC." I said with a grin. "Don't sweat being here, though. You saved my life before, so you're good. It's Edward we're beating to a pulp."

"I can't believe you have the painting," he shook his head, "I thought it was destroyed."

"Nope. Look, man, if it were up to me I'd take you out of the cuffs. This door locks from the outside, so…" I shrugged. "I'm guessing you painted it."

"Yeah." His eyes had glazed over, "I painted it as a gift for Celia…"

I leaned forward, "Celia who?"

"Penderghast. She talked to your girlfriend, Andi. She and I are, well, dating." He chuckled, "Not that there's many places to go in Curdun Cay, and with my 'rebellious streak' Augustine didn't let me out much."

"You think you had it bad?" I joked, "Try one of the cells."

He didn't quite meet my eyes. "I'm sorry about that. I asked to make it a little easier for you but… well you know big-bad-Augustine."

"Well, you shouldn't be one apologizing. Augustine's locked up. It's not a problem anymore." I sat back in my chair and frowned, "Ed's the only problem. I'm really tempted to kill him." I tapped Durendal's grip impatiently. "He's a constant danger. He's nearly killed me, and more importantly, Andi." I looked up, "What would you do in my position?"

His answer was unforgiving. "Eliminate the threat." He paused, and then met my caramel eyes with his scarlet ones. "But I'm not in your position. He's my friend, and I'm telling you that he's a good person. If not for me, he would have killed you before you knew what was going on." I scoffed, "No, seriously. Ed can be pretty dangerous. The List says that I'm one of the strongest Conduits on Earth but even I wouldn't willingly get into a fight with him. Don't blame him for five years of conditioning that made him a killer."

I shrugged, "My girlfriend was trained to be an assassin from birth. I'm worried about his ability to overcome the training, not the training itself. That, and I'm still pissed at him."

"Well then, don't be."

I gave him the straightest face I could muster. "Not that easy."

"Have you tried?"

"Yes. I'm only eighteen. I'm allowed to hold grudges."

Silence. I got up, and opened the door with the flick of my wrist. "I'll be back."

"Thanks for the painting," He said as I closed his door and moved to the next room.

"—AND YOU CAN SHOVE IT UP YER BLOODY FUCKIN' ARSE!" I winced while covering my ears.

"Jeez, Ed. David barely gave you a love tap."

He saw me and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "YOU! YOU'D BETTER HOPE I DIE IN HERE BECAUSE—"

I fired a shot of metal from my hands that wrapped around his mouth, effectively gagging him. "He say anything helpful?"

David looked out of breath, beatin' up the Scottie must be a pretty good workout. He shook his head. "Interesting, sure. Useful? No."

"Of course." I slapped one of his massive biceps, "Take five, big guy. See if you can find Kristil."

"Will do." His eyes sparkled with mirth, "But even if I do I can't guarantee that she'll be able to walk over here."

I laughed and elbowed him, "Then carry her over. She'd get off on the power trip."

"She would," He acknowledged seriously. "I'll get going. Oh, and here's the design for her ring." He handed me a slip of paper and headed for the door.  
>"Send in Nexi, would ya?" I called after him. He nodded and the door slammed, leaving me alone with Edward. I waved a hand and the gag came off. "How's your day going so far?"<p>

He just narrowed his eyes.

"Silent, huh?"

"..." He turned his head away.

"So, what—" Nexi burst into the room.

"HayVincewhat'sgoingonDavidsaidyouneededsomehelpandthanksforthesuit."

I smiled, "You're welcome." _I think…_

Edward spoke up. "I could use some water. I'm no use to you if I die of thirst."

"CoolsoIcangogetsomeberightback!" Nexi was gone in a flash and back before I blinked. She was in the process of bringing the glass to Edward's lips. _Oh, well. A little glass of water won't— _I mentally facepalmed and shot the glass out of Nexi's hand with a bolt of shrapnel. She looked confused. "His power is _Glass_," I explained. "You can get a plastic cup if he _really_ wants a drink."

Nexi's mouth made a little 'o' and Edward tried to vaporize me with his glare. It wasn't working.

"Should have known," He mumbled.

Nexi let out a little squeal of delight. "OhmygodIloveyouraccentcanwegetmarriedIwannagetmarriedVince_pleeeeeease_letmekeephim!" She threw her arms around Edward's neck; "HecouldbetheIristomyBarryAllenandtheWandatomyPietroc'monVinceplease?"

It took awhile for my brain to catch up with her mouth. "Sure," I finally stated. That was the right answer. I think.

"Ahyeswe'llgetmarriedandhavecutebabiesandyou'llteachthemtotalkinyouraccent!" Nexi squealed and squeezed Edward even tighter. His face was turning increasingly brighter shades of scarlet.

"Um, what?"

Edward was looking flustered. Whether it was because Nexi had her arms around him, the fact that I'd just told Nexi they could get married or because he couldn't keep up with our conversation.

"AnywaysgottarunI'llseeyalaterI'mcompetinginthearenayouknow."

"Again?" I grinned, "Go get 'em tiger."

"Nowthatyou'renothereImightactuallystandachanceatwinning." She flashed me a smiled before whizzing out of the room.

"What… What just happened?" Edward's face pretty much looked like a tomato.

"She fell in love with your accent, wanted to marry you, promised to feed and water you, and compared you to to Iris and herself to Barry Allen. I then agreed to your marriage and she left to go fight in a gladiator arena."

He shook his head, "Bloody hell."

"She's a handful." I agreed.

"Vince?" I turned around to see Opal, who captured my lips with hers. We shared a long, passionate kiss and she left me tasting of mint and raspberries.

I heard Edward mumble, "Whatever happened to Andrea Quincy?"

I grinned, "Oh, she's into this."

"Nexi told me there was a genuine Scotsman around with you in the same room." She burst into a grin, "I can't resist a man wearing a tartan kilt-" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Edward. "You?"

"You?" He echoed.

I looked back and forth between the two. "You guys know each other?"

Opal nodded, "From the—"

"—Piano competition," Edward finished.

Opal beamed. "Your rendition of Prayer of the Refugee was amazing."

I don't know how it was possible but his face got _even_ redder. "I wouldn't say amazing," He mumbled.

"The judges' jaws practically hit the floor." Edward chuckled then winced. Half of his wounds had healed but there was still some of David's superpowered punches to take into consideration.

"Well, your adaptation of Für Elise was quite heartwarming." He returned the compliment and Opal practically swooned.

"He's _gorgeous!_ Why are we torturing him?" Opal whispered into my ear, "Y'know, I might just give you up for him."

"He's gay." Her face dropped so quickly it was hilarious. Edward groaned when he realised what she had said to him and her face quickly gave Edward's a run for it's money. I felt like I was sitting inbetween two stop lights, they were so red.

"Okay then." I got up from my chair, "You two catch up, and I'll go kick it with Jace."

* * *

><p>Andi, Jace and I were all chilling in the other room. We'd brought in a couch, pizza, and given Jace paint, brushes and an easel. It'd been a few hours since I'd last talked to Edward. I wolfed down another slice of pineapple pizza, "Good to be painting again?"<p>

"Great," Jace said with a smile. "Thanks for taking off the cuffs."  
>"No biggie." I handed him another slice and he ate with one hand and painted with the other.<p>

"I _still_ think you should have let me in there," Andi grumbled. "I would have had him squealing like a pig."

"And he would have been missing a few appendages," I countered.

"So what? He can live without a few fingers." She stole my pizza and finished it off.

I feigned shock, "Andi! How could you?!"

She grinned and craned her neck upwards to whisper in my ear; "I'll make it up to you." And what she whispered next sent shivers down my spine.

Jace's grinning face peeked out from behind the canvas. "You two are adorable."

Andi shook her head, a bemused grin on her face. "I would have used the word _delectable_, but sure." She snuggled closer to me on the couch and I began to massage her shoulders. She started purring.

"Knock it off," Jace said behind the easel. "I can't even see you and I might barf."

"What're you painting anyways?" I asked as I dug into a particularly sensitive spot, causing Andi to yelp.

"Softer, Vince!"

"The pain is weakness leaving the body!" I scolded, before continuing to knead her shoulders. Apparently the pain subsided because she went from tense to relaxed and purred again.

"I have a thing of not telling anyone what I'm painting until I've finished. Drives Celia mad half the time. So… when am I getting out?" Jace asked.

"Dunno."

"Soon," Opal interrupted, standing at the door. "Vince, Ed wants to talk. With everyone."

* * *

><p>We all crowded into the tiny room. Edward looked up, "Jace? They let <em>you<em> out?"

"We're good," He said with a smile. "They hooked it up with pizza."

Edward blinked, twice. "Bloody unbelievable."

"So Ed, what'd you wanna say?" I asked.

"I don't know much. They've got metal powers, but far less extensive than yours. They pack some kind of grenade that can disable your powers for a bit."

"RFI grenades," I decided. "Damn."

"We could have easily taken them. But then someone else arrived in a car. His powers go far beyond yours. Still the three of us were doing fine—"

"Three?" Andi interrupted.

"Me, Jace and Darren. Didn't you see all the concrete in the crater. Darren is— _used to be_— Augustine's most trusted lieutenant, and probably the strongest concrete-wielder after her. We were holding our own when he threw and RFI grenade that suppressed Darren's power.

"One of the GOLIATHs knocked out Darren but we _still _could have won, if _Jace_," He spat his name, and the Albino looked guilty "didn't panic and cause an explosion. Jace was knocked out cold and apparently my heartbeat stopped. But a woman named Alice saved us from the metal-dude. You know her?" We nodded, "She used some crazy powers but GOLIATH got away with Darren. Alice said that she restarted my heart." I had a feeling that he wasn't telling us _every _detail.

I ran a hand through my hair, "Do you happen to know this '_leader whose powers go far beyond mine'_s name?" That was a bit more of a mouthful than I had expected.

He glared at me, well we're not exactly _friends_, "Only his first name— Darren addressed him as Victor."

Have you ever been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer? No? Well pretend then. Because that's what it felt like when Edward said the word Victor. My breath left in one big _whoosh_ and it was near impossible to get the next one. I was vaguely aware that Andi made some half-assed excuse before she pulled me out of the room. It took a good minute for me to be able to focus again.

"Vince?" Andi asked for what must have felt like the hundredth time. "Vince?"

"My dad," I mumbled. "He's alive."

* * *

><p>I sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I was still trying to process the information that my dad was among the living <em>and<em> trying to come up with a new word for how dead we were.

"Vince?" Andi sat down, next to me and slipped her hand into mine, "It's been hours. Say something."

"Young negro Ketchum in the Jhoto region flexin'."

She gave me a wry grin, "Not what I was expecting."

I rolled over and kissed her heatedly, exploring her mouth and reveling in the sweetness. It was like she'd eaten an entire basket of strawberries. _Why is it that everyone I kiss tastes like some kind of berry?_ She tilted her head we were getting pretty into it when my brain spat out a useful idea. I practically heard the ding and a lightbulb went off above my head. I jumped off the bed, tore open the closet and immediately pulled the laptop from Curdun Cay.

"What the hell?!" Andi complained. "Vince, get back over here and finish what you started!"

I was too busy typing to notice. _C'mon, c'mon. _I hit enter with the search terms defined as 'Victor Tate'. Unsurprisingly, jack shit popped up.

_Damn._ I tired searching for Edward, Celia and Jace. Apparently Celia controlled paper, Edward couldn't remember anything before he was twelve and Jace was strongly opposed to Augustine in the beginning. There were pages of information so I quickly saved it all onto the hard drive before typing in Alice in Wonderland. There were two pictures of her (Or Esther Munroe, as the list called her): Blue eyes, blonde hair, and tan skin. A passport photo. If it wasn't for the grainy mugshot of her in her current state— white skin, white hair, white eyes— I would have a lot of trouble believing that was Alice from the past. I saved the photos too. The only information about her was a list of powers: Bibliokinesis, shape shifting, telepathy, telekinesis. Possible dimensional resonance. _The hell?_ I searched Kessler and I was diverted to an entry labeled 'Cole MacGrath'. I began reading and was halfway through the page before I realized who it was. _Holy shit. The Demon of New Marais._ I just got to the bit about Kessler when suddenly the page was redirected to a chat. Despite all my attempts, I couldn't get back to the page about Cole. The laptop dinged and a message showed up.

_PaprGrl: Someone's getting nosy._ Her name was in all white, easy to see against the black background.

I selected an alias and typed back.

_notMagneto: So what, Celia?_

_PaprGrl: What? How u kno my name? Jace tll u? I'll kill him._

_notMagneto: Whatever. Why can't I go back?_

_PaprGrl: I don't want you to, silly. _

_notMagneto: I was reading tho :(_

_PaprGrl: Who r u anyway? You got lvl 8 access, bt ur not registerd_

_notMagneto: Look at my name and think rlly, rlly hard_

_PaprGrl:... Vincent Tate?_

_notMagneto: *slow clap* congratz! You're not entirely stupid. Now put me back on the page_

_PaprGrl: Ask nicely_

_notMagneto: I'll kill Jace_

_PaprGrl: U BETTER NT IF U HURT HIM I'LL GUT U RGHT N FRONT O' UR PRECIOUS GRLFRND_

_notMagneto: Calm down, Jeez._

_PaprGrl: Srry. Therapists say I've got hostility issues_

_notMagneto: …_

_PaprGrl: So hows life?_

_notMagneto: ur jokin right? _

A new user popped up in the chatroom. Her text was icy blue.

_K: You should leave_

_PaprGrl: xcuse u, rude_

_K: You're in danger, Celia. You need to leave now. Victor Tate himself is coming to get you_

_PaprGrl: Who are u?_

_K: a friend you can trust_

_notMagneto: Victor Tate? Alice? Dat u?_

_K: quit _

_f shutdown /system_

_Codeword: Aftermath Gemini_

My computer shut off and I was left staring at a blank screen. _Aww crap._ I closed the laptop and slid it back into the closet, connecting it to the charger. _So, so close to answers._ I would have thought over the material I read before Andi tackled me, eyes blazing.

"Finish. What. You. Started." She jabbed my chest menacingly, "Now."

"Andi?" That was all I got out before she mashed her lips to mine and guided my hands downwards.

* * *

><p><strong>*plot intensifies*<strong>

**So, if the description of the gun confused you, there's a link on my profile.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**20 bucks you can't guess who K is.**

**No, really.**

**20 bucks.**

**Seriously though, 20 bux.**

**Please read and review, and remember kids: It's only Illegal if you get caught!**

**~Zeta**

* * *

><p>REVIEW THIS! If you don't, I'm never gonna update that LAST chapter of the Second Kessler (which I've already written) which reveals who the Second Kessler <em>really <em>is. See, Zeta? Blackmailing is far more efficient than begging!

Thanx and PEACE!  
>Haru<p>

**Goddamnit Haru! Stay in your own story and don't threaten our readers! :D**

Call me Kitty XD

**FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU**


	16. Chapter 16: Suits

A frantic week passed at the Converted's place. I lived there. I helped set up defenses, establish food supplies, search for GOLIATH and most importantly plan the wedding. It was gonna be huge, and I mean huge. Everyone was talking about it and more than a little money had changed hands. Most people had been betting on Kristil having to sack up and propose. They were wrong.

"Really?" I was staring at the proposed design for David's ring. "I'm good, but I'm not that good."

Kristal sighed, clearly annoyed. "You can't just imagine it? Isn't that how your powers work?"

"Yes and no." I closed my eyes and tried picturing the ring. The result was… less than satisfactory.

"You're not getting the liger right," She complained. "It's gold with silver stripes, not silver with gold stripes."

"How can you even tell?!" I flung the failed ring at the wall so hard it shattered on impact. Kistil blinked, clearly impressed. My phone went off and I grumbled, answering it. "This better be pretty damn important."

"Eugene's dead." It was Delsin on the line. "The funeral's tomorrow."

"Wait, what? How long has he been-"

"For a while now… We finally got it all organized. I'll text you the address." He sounded like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"I uh… what? Dead? How..."

"Just… I'll explain later. A lot's happened in the last week."

"Alright."

"Alright." He hung up.

I stared at my phone. Shit.

"What?"

"Not now, Kristil. I've got to go get ready for a funeral."

"Funeral?" I didn't respond. Instead, I texted Andi.

Wher r u?  
>Need 2 meet<br>URGENT!

OMW was what she sent me. I sat down and stared at the ceiling blankly, forgetting that Kristil was in the room. He's dead? How? Why? I don't…. We barely got to play HH together. I felt a little guilty that this was one of the first things that popped up in my head.

Andi burst into the room, sword drawn. "Vince!?"

"Eugene's dead."

"He's dead? How? Why? I don't… you didn't even get to play Heaven's Hellfire together!"

"We actually did," I said with a smile. Then I remembered that he's dead and quickly wiped it off my face. "Funeral's tomorrow. I gotta go get a suit."

You do know where to buy a suit, yes? I could hear Kristil's telepathic message. She was trying her best not to be nosy about Eugene and, since she didn't ask, I didn't tell.

Got any suggestions, sugar queen?

Well, David is planning on purchasing a suit from 'Men's Wearhouse' for the wedding.

Oh joy. You'll love the way you look, I guarantee it. Well, thanks. I got up and put away my phone. "Let's go." I walked out the room and passed Ed on the way out.

"Are you gonna take off these bloody cuffs-"

"Not today, Edward." I walked past without giving him as much as a glance.

* * *

><p>I turned around and looked at myself in a full-length mirror. "I don't know. It's not sexy."<p>

"Well, you're not supposed to look sexy," Andi tutted, "You're going to a funeral."

"What? 'Sexy' isn't compatible with 'funeral'?" I feigned confusion. My mood hadn't gotten as bad as you'd think. It wasn't because I didn't care about Eugene, heck I— we both— cared a lot for the kid… it's just that when I look at Andi, I can tell that we're both feeling the same; denying it, refusing to let it sink in. We're not going to believe that a Conduit, and a god-damned powerful one at that, is dead until we see the body.

"For the record, Vince," She took two leisurely steps towards me before getting on her tip-toes and wrapping her arms around my neck, "You make it work." She pressed her lips onto mine. I turned away after a few seconds, not really in the mood at all.

"I can't believe it." I shrugged off the dark jacket and went to work unbuttoning the dress shirt. "There's no way he was killed. He's too powerful." I successfully navigated the last button only to realize I'd forgotten to untie the steel-grey tie that hung around my neck. I ripped it off in anger and threw it across the room. "Shit. I gotta pay for that."

"You're paying for it all anyways." Andi stooped down and picked up the ruined tie with a slight smirk. "Better get a new tie."

"I love you so much, Andrea Quincy. But you drive me crazy." I snatched the tie and stormed off, and her chuckling only pissed me off more.

"That's what I was born to do, Vincent Tate." She smirked over her shoulder, "And stop complaining, I let you have Opal after all." Then she walked away, leaving me to deal with my muddled emotions.

* * *

><p>I looked over at a rack of ties. Why the fuck are there so many? A midnight blue one caught my eye and I pulled it off. Out of the corner of my eye, I made out someone else entering the store. Some guy I didn't know; short, frizzy blond hair, deep blue eyes and pale-tan skin. He was wearing a black polo-shirt and black pair of trainers with a dark blue trim and a pair of light chinos. A trendy beaded bracelet wrapped snugly around his wrist and, when he turned his head, I saw a strip of blue dye in his hair. He was looking around the store and I couldn't help but notice that he looked a little confused. I walked up to him, blue tie still in hand.<p>

"Hey, you alright?" I asked as I approached.

He turned to face me, "Yeah, mate," His accent suggested he was British, a Londoner probably, "just a little lost, I'm not used to American shops." He glanced around the place again, "You wouldn't happen to know where the ties are, would ya?" I chuckled. Up close, he looked about a couple years younger than me, not much shorter. But he still packed enough muscle to take me on, if I wasn't a super-powerful Conduit of course.

"Right here, mate," I attempted a British accent as I escorted him to the tie-rack— feeling like a good samaritan, "Pick a colour, any colour. I'll just wait 'ere with my cuppa' tea." I grinned.

He rolled his eyes, "Dude, don' even try," He attempted a cowboy drawl, "I'm from the Wild West, your English accent is just as bad as my American."

"Actually that accent's pretty good."

"Yeah, I watched a lot of Western movies when I was a kid."

"When you were a 'kid'? You're still a kid, Kid."

"Actually, Grandpa, I'm sixteen." He picked out an ice-blue tie from the rack, examined it for a few seconds before realizing that he didn't like it and put it back.

"Y'know what?" I asked, trying my best to sound vicious.

He turned around, bemused, "What?"

"You're alright." I smirked. He held out his hand for me to shake, which I did, "I'm Vince."

"Ashton," He responded, "Ash is fine though." 'Ash' diverted his attention back to the tie-rack. I was about to make a smart-ass comment when he mumbled something that I couldn't quite hear.

"Say again?"

"You're a Conduit, aren't you?" He kept looking through the ties, as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell-question.

I decided to play it safe, "Why do you say that?"

"Your eyes. Bronze with streaks of silver. Bit strange for a normal human." He turned to look at me, "Except mine are boring blue, so I guess I'm a bit of an exception to the rule."

"You're a Conduit?" Yeah, I'm sure all you humans want badass powers but just cos you claim— he raised his hand and small flecks of blue fire swirled around it, "Pyrokinesis?"

"Cryokinesis, actually. But apparently that's only my primary power. I'm an Empath too."

I groaned, "Kill me."

"I'm guessin' that you're getting a suit for the funeral?" Ash picked out a royal-blue tie with white pinstripes.

"You knew Eugene?"

"Yeah. Well not really, we only had a few conversations," He kept his eyes averted, "didn't hurt any less when he died though."

"You saw it?"

He sighed and placed the pinstriped tie back before picking out a pitch-black one, "Some dude who calls himself Kessler—"

"Shit." I pulled Durendal out of my Cole-MacGrath-backpack, "He use a gun like this one?" Ash's eye widened at the sight of the gun. They weren't as boring as he claimed, they were the same midnight-blue as the tie in my hand but had splashes of different shades of blue on the edges of his irises.

"Exactly the same…" He turned away from me and surveyed the store again and spotted a clock, "Look, I need to go. See you later some time?"

"Yeah, sure."

We both paid for our ties and Ash walked out. There's something about him that seems… off. And I'm not just saying that because he's British.

**Sorry for the short chapter...  
>Well no text walls today at least.<br>Stay Awesome.  
>~Zeta<strong>

Ps: Want more on Ash? Check out The Second Kessler. Link on my profile.


	17. Chapter 17: There's no fun in Funeral

I sighed and tugged on my suit jacket. I tried to banish the dark thoughts that swirled like storm clouds in my mind, and was gloriously unsucessful. I began tying my midnight blue tie, staring emptily into the mirror.

Death is not something easily dealt with.

My Bronze, silver-flecked eyes gazed back. I sighed again and kicked my dress shoes against the mirror. _I hate stuff like this._ _For someone who kills a lot, you'd think it'd get easier._

It doesn't.

It never will.

"Vince?" I turned to see Andi standing in the doorway, wearing a black lace dress (with matching heels and jet stone brooch) that I'd never seen before in my life. I didn't even know Andi _knew _what lace was. I thought her wardrobe was just _t-shirts_ and _jeans._ I kinda just blinked and stared at her for a few seconds.

She rolled her eyes. "Say anything and I'll gut you."

"You look good?" I offered, tentative. "I didn't know you had a dress… like _that_."

"So I look like an old lady. It's a funeral and I'm not wearing jeans." Andi slung Zhănshǒu across her back, "C'mon. I'm driving."

"For the record," I said as I stepped forward to loop my arm around hers, "You make it work."

* * *

><p>We pulled up at a cemetery, not a church. It's not what I was expecting but at the same time it felt more appropriate. I realized that I didn't even know if Eugene was religious. I saw a small crowd gathered and Andi drove forward, then parked. Delsin came over to greet us as we got out. It was the first time that I'd seen him without his beanie. His dark hair was combed back and his eyes seemed heavy with sorrow. I could make out six other figures gathered around Eugene's grave. Alice was there, and stood next to a fat man who I've never seen before and another woman whose skin was a blueish hue and had long cobalt hair trailing down the back of her coat. I didn't recognise Fetch immediately because she had dyed her hair neon blue and she stood next to Ash who was wearing the black tie he bought yesterday. There was another figure further away from the group. I couldn't see their face, but I could tell that it was a girl, and there was something about her hair that looked familiar but I couldn't quite place my finger on it.<p>

"Hey. Thanks for coming." I was snapped out of my routine studying of everyone present by Delsin.  
>I nodded at him and got out of the car, hearing the door clunk softly as I pulled on the handle and slowly started heading to the small gathering that had started without us.<p>

* * *

><p>"... And that's all, I guess." Delsin shrugged awkwardly, hands in pockets, staring at the freshly-dug earth that now held a friend. "I don't know what else to say. I'm pretty sure that Eugene wouldn't want us to stand around, doing nothing, feeling like shit." A wry grin crept across his face; "It doesn't help though, does it?" A soft murmur accompanied that statement and I found myself nodding.<p>

Andi wiped away a solitary tear and I tightened my arm across her shoulders, trying to give her some comfort. "I'm not crying," she said, trying to convince herself more than me.

I let my head rest on hers. "It's alright," I murmured.

It wasn't, but one little white lie couldn't hurt anyone.

Delsin suddenly spoke up. "So, uh, there's no tombstone." He was staring downwards, his eyes fastened on his shiny black dress shoes. "That's because I was planning to do this." He raised his hands and closed his eyes in concentration as concrete began to swirl. A shape began to from amidst the rubble, and soon a statue of Eugene was formed, geeky glasses, HH shirt, hoodie and all. He had a slight smile on his face but the most prominent feature was the added wings that extended from his shoulder blades. It was so lifelike it took my breath away. Andi took a small step forwards and pointed a finger at the statue. Multi-coloured ink floated through the air and ran across the surface of the statue, painting it in exact accordance to how Eugene looked but she left the wings and eyes alone. Not wanting to be left out, I held out a hand and plated each individual feather with blue and purple gold (yes I said blue and purple _gold_, it _is _possible by creating intermetallic indium- and aluminium-gold compounds… betcha didn't know I could do that, huh?). Fetch finished it off by making the eyes and wings glow and created a shining halo above his head. Alice, Ash, Sunglasses and Smurf-chick stood by, watching the statue shimmer in the sunlight when Fetch burst into tears. Delsin wrapped his arms around her shoulders and let out a shuddering sigh. "I'm gonna miss you, buddy."

It was enough to make me cry. And I did, a little bit, hating the salty sting as tears trickled down my face. "Damn." I whispered softly.

"I hate funerals," Andi agreed, wiping her eyes and smudging her mascara.. "I've been to too many as it is."

This is the first she's been to that _I _know of. "It surprises me, how much about your life I don't know."

She turned away, not wanting to make eye-contact. "Later," She promised.

I made a noncommittal grunt. It bothers me sometimes, that I really don't know much about Andi.


	18. Chapter 18: (Wo)Man with a Plan

I decided not to press Andi and turned away to see Alice standing right at my shoulder. I jumped. "Alice?!"

"Yes, Alice." She smiled, "Don't worry, I'm not here for you. Well, I am here for you, just not in a menacing way that would involve your death and or defeat."

I raised an eyebrow. "You really need to work on your greetings, because _that_ was definitely not comforting."

"It wasn't supposed to be comforting." She stretched, arms above her head, "But I digress."

"Alice, right?" Andi asked. "You knew Eugene?"

"I know _of _him. I know that he had near-unparalleled potential and I know that because of that, _Kessler _killed him." She spat the name in disgust, "There was once a time when the title of 'Kessler' was taken by a Conduit with nothing but the safety of mankind on their agenda, the _imposter _who killed Eugene spits on the name."

Andi casually leaned in to me, "Passionate rant." She muttered so only I could hear.

_Teach your girlfriend to stop being rude, _Alice glared at me, her lips locked in a tight smile.

_Maybe you just need to chill and hit a blunt, _I countered with raised eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed. _I'd never voluntarily surrender my clarity of mind. _

_I'm not even slightly surprised._

"Okay," Delsin spoke up, "We're going back to the House. Alice, you wanted to say something?"

"Yes," Gray light flicked across her ivory skin, "But it can wait until we're all at the House." it almost sounded like a suggestion but I could tell that it was more of an order. She looked over her shoulder at the girl who I had seen before but not recognised. She was still pretty far away but slowly made her way towards us when she noticed Alice's stare.

I realized who it was when she got closer. "Paper girl."

Her eyes widened in surprise and her hand flicked towards a black staff that was fastened to her back, "You know me?"

"Know you?" I chuckled, "Jace won't shut up about you." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because in a flash she had an unreasonably sharp paper knife pressed up against my throat. A smile split her face.

"Where. Is. He?"

The first thing that came into my mind was to say _up your butt and around the corner._ The second was _go fuck yourself._ I was vying for the third option when I it noticed that Andi had her sword pressed against Celia's throat. Her own hand flew for her staff.

"Don't." It was more of a command than a request.

Celia looked like a wild animal who just got backed into a corner, which if you know anything about animals, is definitely not a good thing. I had do so something.

"Andi." I motioned for her to drop her sword. She didn't and I cursed mentally at her for being stubborn. I swear I heard Alice chuckle. "Celia. I'll take you to him, but if you slit my throat that can't happen." I saw her grip slacken, almost imperceptibly. "So how about you put the knife away?" I looked around and saw that everyone was looking at us. Fetch had her hands raised and so did Delsin. The woman with icy-blue arms was frowning at us and Sunglasses had a hand resting on his gun. "There's not going to be a way out for you if you don't."

Celia, glaring daggers, dropped the knife from my throat and Andi lowered Zhǎnshǒu ."Take me. Now."

I nodded, and caught Delsin's eye as we turned away. _Follow us._ He got the unspoken message and inclined his head ever so slightly as we headed back towards the car.

* * *

><p>"Kristil?" I yelled as we entered the new and improved Flea, "You've got company."<p>

"Vince, thank god. You need to get back to work on the ring-" Her eyes narrowed as she saw Celia. "Ah. I take it this visit isn't pleasure, then. You know the way." _She's insane, you stupid little man._

_Oh, so we're back to the insults,_ I complained.

_You should not have brought her here._

_Can't you just lift her memories of how we got here?_

She looked at me questioningly, _Yes._

_Do it. _I broke the eye contact and headed down a long hall to the doors at the end. I pushed it open, unceremoniously. "You've got a visitor, Jace."

Celia squealed like a schoolgirl and rushed into the room. "Jace!"

"Celia?!" I watched him get pulled into a kiss and I turned to Andi with an accusing look on my face.

"How come I don't get treated like that?"

She scowled, "You get treated _better._"

I opened my mouth, and found that I had no argument. So I stepped inside the room where a very passionate reunion was going on.

By which I mean Celia and Jace were sucking face like no tomorrow while Edward sat watching, completely mortified. "Dear Jesus, if you exist, please end my life," He prayed, eyes upturned to heaven.

I walked over and pulled him to his feet, none too gently. "C'mon, we're skipping out."

He looked at me curiously but I offered no further explanation, so he shrugged. "Fine with me."

"Good." Andi made to follow us but I shook my head. What happened next was between me and Ed. Matter of honor and all that.

* * *

><p>I waited until we were a good three blocks away before stopping. "Alright, here's the thing: I don't like you and I'm sure it's mutual. But, we need to band together to survive. So here's our chance to air the bad blood and get it over with." I raised a hand, and his metal shackles fell to the ground in a heap.<p>

Edward flexed his hands and looked at me in wonder. "You're trying to be the bigger man, huh?"

"Yep." I cracked my neck and unslung my amp. "Plenty of old glass windows around here for you."

A grin lit up his face. "Oh, you're so fucked."

"With lube or without?" I shot back, seeing his face redden. "C'mon, queer boy, I ain't got all day."

With a growl, he launched himself at me. I swung my amp, and it met a glass trident in a crash of sparks. "I'm gonna kill you." He swore, as we broke away.

"Not likely," I taunted with a grin. "I can run faster because of my longer heel bone."

His mouth dropped open. "A racist _and _a homophobe," He muttered. "You're a piece of work." He flung his arms wide, and all the glass windows shattered and flowed into him. "I'm gonna enjoy this."

I could have waited for him to finish absorbing the glass, but seeing as life is not a movie, I ran forward and kicked him in the dick. He caught my leg and spun me around, letting go at the last second so I crashed into the metal frames that used to hold windows. _Big_ mistake. I sheathed my Amp and pulled the metal around me into grains of black sand right as Ed fired a glass rocket.

Did I charge Iron Sand? Sure.

But I also bought a rocket to the face.

I tumbled backwards into the dilapidated building, wondering why that rocket didn't _hurt_. Sure, my ears were ringing but there was only a slight sting from the blast that should have broken some ribs. I didn't have time to ponder it because Edward came right in after me, firing two rockets. "Fuck you!"

I stood up, and opened both arms wide to receive the rockets with a grin. "Not today, Scotty."

I know, that was not the best plan, but I did it anyways.

Before I could even blink, Iron Sand rushed up in front of me and caught the two rockets, shielding me from the explosion and stopping them dead in their tracks. "Huh," I mused aloud, "So the blast core turned me into Metal Gaara. Awesome."

"Oh come on!" Edward groaned.

I flicked my wrist and send a wave of iron sand that engulfed him and smashed through the side of the old building. "I could get used to this." I called my sand back and it wrapped around me like a cloak. _No more waste, _I thought with a smile. I saw more glass flow into Edward, and he let loose a torrent of… _molten glass?!_ I matched that with my sand, and the tides raged back and forth. I started pulling up metal from the ground at first, but that soon ran out. So I ripped it out of the building and launched myself upwards through a skylight, leaving it to collapse onto Edward. I then realized with a start that I was flying. _This day just keeps getting better._ I swooped down on the shuddering building and rained rockets onto it in a series of explosions that tore it apart and sent Edward flying. I followed him to the crash site, floating on a sand cloud, my arms crossed as I hovered above him with a grin. _I am SO buying robes after this. They'd look awesome, flowin' in the wind and shit. _

Ed groaned and tried moving, but I covered him in iron sand before lifting him up to eye level. "Look, you can't win. I haven't had these abilities for five seconds and I'm already kicking your―"

My cloud exploded in a flash of red light and I was sent sprawling. I heard Ed crunch to the ground, but I was already focused on recovery, landing on my feet and spinning to face a very angry Jace and Celia who looked like she had murder on her mind. "I can explain," I said, hurriedly. Excuse me if I didn't want to get into a fight with _three_ Conduits.  
>"It better be good," Jace said in a dangerously low voice.<p>

"It is," Edward groaned, although he was already healing. I don't think even I could heal that fast, "He offered and I accepted. I just didn't expect to get the snot beaten out of me." He pulled himself up, using his trident as support. "How did you get so bloody powerful? It's only been a few weeks."

I shrugged, not wanting to reveal my power source. "Mind your own business." I raised a hand and called my sand back around me, revelling in the feeling. I never wanted to go back to ordinary metal again. "We good?"

"I hardly got to punch you," He mumbled. "But yeah, we're good." He stretched out a well-muscled hand, and we shook. He glanced at Celia, "Y'reckon it's cos of a Blast Core?"

"It makes sense." She nodded.

Well, so much for magicians not revealing their secrets and all that shit. "How did you know?"

"Mind your own business." Ed flashed me a smirk. I had a tiny feeling that we were probably going to get on a bit more.

* * *

><p>So the five of us were sitting in the same room that Jace was once imprisoned in (which was now kitted out with a plasma screen T.V. and leather couches that would make Obama jealous) and eating pizza. Well, Edward (who I swear eats more than a fucking elephant) Jace and I were eating pizza; Andi and Celia too busy glaring daggers into each other when David and Achilles strolled in.<p>

He picked up a box from the table and opened to find a pepperoni pizza, "I need to trust your nose more, Achilles." The liger let out a grunt before snatching the box out of Dave's hands before carrying it into the corner of the room in his jaws and settling down. "The sass!" The Converted muttered as he grabbed another box and took his seat next to me. His violet-blue eyes flicked to Edward and then to his unbound hands, "So no more shackles?"

Edward opened his mouth to answer but Celia interrupted, "I don't think anyone could restrain either of us three _conscious _assassins."

Andi scoffed, "I'd love to test that theory."

"And I'd love to kick your ass." The two of them snapped up from their seats and had their weapons in hand. Celia's staff was actually some sort of spear, with a blade almost as long as Zhǎnshǒu's. Luckily, I was fast enough to grab my girlfriend's hand and pulled her down before she went demon-mode on her fellow assassin counterpart, shutting her up with a kiss before she could protest. Jace had the sense to do the same with Celia. David had tensed up and looked ready to spring to action any second, and Achilles actually looked up from his pizza.

Ed, on the other hand, was too busy studying his flawless blond hair in a glass mirror he had created. "All you drama-queens faffin' about and giving guys a handful. Thank you Jesus for makin' me gay." I think he was talking to himself but we all heard.

Celia turned to him, fury glinting in her eyes, "_Drama-queen?_" She closed her hand into a fist and a paper knife appeared. Before anyone could stop her, she hurled it at Edward's head. A tiny shard of glass materialised in the knife's way and intercepted it less than an inch away from his skin. Neither of the three DUP-trained Conduits looked fazed by Celia attempting to murder Ed so it's probably a common thing for her to do. "Coming from the guy who cried for a _week_ when his first boyfriend moved to a different country."

"What can I say?" Edward shrugged, "I guess I'm sensitive."

I started choking on pizza when I burst into laughter, earning me a glare from Ed and a grin from Celia. "A week?! Goddamn, Ed I thought you were a man's man!"

"I am a man's man," He mumbled, turning red. He's really, really easy to embarrass, and I loved it.

Kristil came in, trailing _another_ liger. _Jeez, do they mass-produce these things or what?_ She smiled at David and made her way over to me, leaning over uncomfortably close until I could feel her breath tickling my ear.

"I couldn't get at Celia's memories," She purred. "Something is stopping me."

"Great." I tried not to fidget but failed miserably and twitched away from her as she smiled. "It's probably got something to do with the earpieces they're all wearing…"

The smile turned into a smirk as she curled up on the couch and rested her head on my shoulder. "Probably."

_What the hell are you doing?_ I glanced between David and Andi, unable to tell which one looked like they wanted to kill me more.

_I finally found out how to get under you skin, Vincent. I'm enjoying it. _She flicked my earlobe before slinking away to talk to David in hushed tones. I slid off the couch in relief, partly because she was a _safe_ distance away and partially because Andi's aggression was now focused on someone who couldn't blow anything up if they got into a fight. I mean, it would be a short fight. _Andi would get up in there, do some fancy knife-work- Actually, she lost her blades. I wonder if that Zeke guy could do anything about that? He is working on my Amp right now_.

"So Jace tells me you're 'super-strong'..." David broke my train of thought and when I looked over, he was looking at Edward with an amused smile.

"And?" Edward was back to frowning at himself in the mirror, completely uninterested.

"And I'd like to see for myself." David ran his free hand through Achilles' fur, wholly relaxed. Edward took another bite out of his pizza and put his mirror down, before reaching down to the base of the couch where only Jace and Celia sat (tongue hockey must be a really passionate hobby for them).

"What the f—" was all Jace managed to utter when Ed upturned the entire couch with a flick of his wrist. Celia furiously jumped up and stomped over to him but Jace grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a kiss— effectively shutting her up… again.

David got onto his knees and rested his elbow on the table, "Arm-wrestle." He explained. The Conduit gave the Converted a smirk that said, _You don't stand a chance, _before getting into position on the opposite side of the table. They clasped hands and immediately started— I saw the 'I'm-pretending-to-look-casual-and-effortless-so-my-ego-isn't-damaged-but-in-fact-this-is-taking-a-lot-of-effort" look that I was way too familiar with. In all honesty, I probably would have watched them until one of them won, but the first five minutes looked like it was going nowhere fast so I got bored pretty quickly.

I felt a cold breeze enter the room a split-second before Alice (who couldn't be bothered to fucking introduce herself) and Ash (who looked too busy on the phone to introduce himself) did. Alice immediately plopped down next to me while simultaneously snatching the remote and beginning to channel-surf. I crept up from the floor and back on the couch, where I cuddled with Andi, who was _still_ trying to vaporize Kristil and Celia with her glare. Sheesh, it's not the only couch in the room, y'know? What's so special about this one? I mean…

"Fetch, I swear," Ash said, loudly, holding the phone away from his ear and looking like a scolded puppy. "You're either faffin' about wit' Delsin or takin' a kip." I watched as he brought the phone back to his ear and listened for a pause, face slowly turning into a grin. "Nap. Kip means nap, but I guess you're not nappin' are ya?" I heard a shriek and laughed when Ash dropped his phone.

"It's not funny," He grumbled as he bent over to grab his phone. "I just got this one." A slam sounded from the other corner of the room and David cheered in triumph. I caught Ed's head swiveling around to face David again as he scoffed and demanded a left-handed rematch. _What was he just looking at?_

"Vince, quit fidgeting," Andi mumbled as she flicked my stomach in annoyance. "You're not being a very good outer spoon."

"There's too much going on," I mumbled. "But sorry." I shifted around on the couch some until I could comfortably wrap my arms all the way around her midsection and nuzzle into her neck. "Better?"  
>"Much," She mumbled. A few minutes later I heard a quiet snore from her. She said she hadn't had any nightmares since she'd gotten ahold of Zhǎnshǒu and I guess her body was trying to catch up on lost sleep. It wasn't long before Ed came over to join us, carefully swinging his legs up to avoid Alice as he sat next to us.<p>

"Hey." He said, quietly. "Who's the Brit?"

"Ashton. He goes by Ash." I tried putting as much venom as possible into my words to try and convey to Ed that this conversation _could wait_, but he didn't pick up on it. Maybe he ignored it.

"Conduit?"

I cracked an eye, an eye that I hoped looked like it was full of murderous rage and not just fatigue. "Ice and Empathy." I watched Ed smile and relax into the cushions. It was a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Cool."

I snorted. "You took five minutes and came up with that? Your puns are awfully _queer._"

Ed's eyes widened in disbelief. "Now _that _was a bad pun."

"Yep." With Alice channel surfing, at least it was quiet. She flicked channels so fast there was only the occasional blip of sound. "Say, don't you Scots hate Brits or something?" I was gratified with a facepalm.

"... Scotland is _in _Britain_,_" he grumbled. "Which you would know if you ever took geography."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I got you confused with the Irish," I shot back, grinning. "Won't happen again." I managed the satisfaction of seeing him squirm before he posed another question.

"So, you know him?"

"Oh, for Frond's sake." He promptly looked at me like I was crazy. "Guess you never read Artemis Fowl," I muttered before continuing. "What's with the twenty questions? I'm trying to get some quality snuggle time in an' shit."

Edward snickered into the palm of his well-muscled hand. "What was with the "and shit" at the end there?"

"Preserving masculinity," I explained. "The phrase 'quality snuggle time' is not exactly manly, so I added 'and shit' to the end. That makes anything sound thug." I watched with satisfaction as he tried it mentally and found that what I said rang true, as per usual. "You dodged my question though…" I let the thought trail off until the realization hit me harder than Andi on her period. "Oh my god. You like him." There was no reply from the suddenly sordid Irish- sorry, Scotsman, so I rode my train of thought even further. "Unbelievable. You were staring at his _ass_ when you lost the arm wrestle."

"I was not!" He snapped, face getting redder by the second.

"Good god Edward!" I feigned dismay, pressing the back of my hand into my forehead before Andi yanked it back down around her waist. "What would your mother say?"

Ed fumed, unable to think of a comeback. I could practically see steam rushing out of his ears.

"Ed, really? I mean, come on. You couldn't have ogled his ass at a more opportune time?"

His head sunk slowly onto his chest, admitting defeat. "Shut up."

"You're surrounded by great asses," I said with a grin, "Female and _male._ What makes his so special?"

"He's the only one available," He shot back. "And I'm sodding _GAY_, so nix on the girls."

"So, you're saying I have a nice ass but you don't look at it out of respect for Andi?"

A whole new shade of red worked itself across Ed's face. "I, I… No, er, yes… Wait, no, no, no!"

I burst out laughing, earning a smack from Andi. It was so worth it though. "Wait, wait. Oh god," I tried catching my breath only to burst into laughter again, "Oh god. Hee hee, ohhhhh. Damn."

"It's not that funny," he muttered.

"Yeah, it is." I waited for a heartbeat before following up. "Rate my ass on a scale from one to ten."

Poor Ed looked like he was about to have convulsions. Veins were literally standing out on his forehead and he sputtered angrily.  
>I couldn't help myself. "Oh god, <em>Eddie<em>," I lowered my voice to baritone and fluttered my eyelashes at him, "is that a nine?" I didn't even know that humans could turn that shade of red.  
>I would have carried on until either Ed died of embarrassment or I died of laughter if Alice hadn't snapped at me: "SHUT UP!"<br>Imagine the raw fear of '_The Exorcist', 'Jaws'_,'_The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'_ and every single animatronic scream from '_Five nights at Freddy's 2' _compressed into two words and you have a pretty good idea of what that sounded like. Needless to say I shut up. And it took me a few seconds but I realized why she had yelled at me to shut up.

My dad was on tv.  
>Giving a speech.<br>And what he was saying chilled me to the bone.

**I finally updated! Sorry it took awhile but I needed to find my inspiration again, so I dove into other fanfics, which you may be seeing soon ;)**

**Stay awesome**

**~Zeta**


	19. Chapter 19: Steel, Ice, Paper and Tar

Aww yeah! Guess who's back with an action packed chapter? Oh, and we broke 2,000 views! HOLY FUCK, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

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><p>"GOLIATH will replace the failed operations of Brooke Augustine. But make no mistake, we are not the DUP. We are not here to persecute Conduits, like them, but to build a foundation of trust and caring. We are here to help all Conduits, not lock them away. It's our mission, our <em>duty<em> to see that they— _we— _ are safely and fairly integrated into our society. Our co-worker, Mr. Lorcan Kessler, has agreed to provide us with the funds necessary and the inclusion of his automatos assistants," The camera turned to show two Blessed, one male and one female, "who, you may see with my men working with NATO and the police departments of all major developed states and countries in order to work our way to harmony between humans and Conduits." My father paused to smile at the crowd, his graying hair stood dryly atop his head, but it never quite reached his bronze-gold eyes. He was flanked by two of those weird faceless masks, and he himself was wearing a trenchcoat emblazoned with the diamond shaped Celtic symbol. "Thank you, no questions."

Even if there had been questions we wouldn't have seen them, because Alice thumbed the power button on the remote, and the TV blinked off. "Your dad's a piece of work," She said, voice grating like a drawn-out animatronic scream.

"Lemme guess," I said, sitting up and rubbing a tired hand across my eyes. "He's really _experimenting_ on Conduits or something."

She stood up and cracked her neck before turning to face me. "Are you really surprised? But that brings me to something I've been meaning to address… Now that I've got you all in one room."

Andi sat of with a yawn and a stretch, only to lean on my shoulder. "All of us? What about Fetch and Delsin?"

Alice just smiled creepily. I'll tell you, those eyes freak me out, man. Next thing I knew, there was a flutter of a ton of sheets and two people came crashing down out of the air. I heard Fetch shriek and watched her try and gather up all the sheets around herself in a neon blur. "ALICE?! Is this supposed to be funny?"

"Save me some sheets!" Delsin complained as he tried to grab some back. "C'mon, Fetch, I'm naked here!"

"Yeah, well so am I, genius! And unless you want a roomful of people to see your girlfriend's _tits_ you better stop pulling at those sheets!" I contemplated throwing money at the pair and decided I liked my face un-lasered.

"I knew it!" Ash crowed from the corner of the room. "You _were_ bonking! You two are worse than rabbits!" He barely ducked under the resulting laser blast that went his way with a laugh. I forced my laughter down into a grin. It wouldn't do for me to have a smoking hole in my head, now would it?

"Relax," Alice commanded, and suddenly two white bathrobes floated onto the couple. "We've got more important things to discuss than your state of nakedness." A strange light came into her eyes as she continued, "Although, you should be commended on your ability to disrobe so quickly."

I absolutely lost it and let out a guffaw as Fetch fired a laser in my direction. Immediately my sand blocked it. _Okay, that's new._ Usually after a fight I immediately reverted to normal metal… sweet. I kept the grin on my face as I flicked a hand and watched the sand disperse, revealing Fetch's surprised face. "Oh, yeah. New tricks."

"Fetch, quit trying to kill Vince and Ash. We need them." Alice sounded like she was reprimanding a child for trying to steal cookies, not murder someone.

"For what?" Edward interrupted, having recovered from my earlier teasing. I flapped a hand at him and he swatted it away.

"We have several problems. One of which is Victor Tate. More specifically, a weapon that he's building which could potentially kill any Conduit at the touch of a button. I need Delsin, Celia, Kuo, Nexi and Andi to infiltrate GOLIATH and destroy it. You'll be team Alpha. Then there's our other problem…" She actually rolled her eyes, "Sasha. She's an incredibly powerful telepath who has control over tar. I need Ash, Vince, and Kristil, the only people in the room who are able to resist her telepathy. I'll be coming along as well. We're team Beta."

"Excuse my interruption but how did you manage to find out about Tate's doomsday weapon?" Ash was leaning against a wall, arms crossed.

"I have my sources." She replied, "And I have another team of _friends— _team Gamma— working on a mission to gather information of Kessler. Once we're all done, we'll rendezvous at the Space Needle."

I was nodding along, my mind lost elsewhere but still listening. Then I realized that she hadn't mentioned Edward, Jace, David or Fetch. There's no way Jace is gonna let Celia go without him and the same applied for David. Not to mention Fetch, "Hey, what about Fetch and Da—"

"Fetch can't come." Delsin interrupted me.

I raised an eyebrow but Fetch spoke up, "Why not? I'll be fine, just…" She trailed off when Delsin glared at her.

"For the sake of Shakespeare and all that is holy!" Alice exclaimed and I couldn't help but snicker a bit at that, "Delsin, you need to stop dancing around the fact that your girlfriend is pregnant!" She turned to the rest of us, tutting, "Her pregnancy is having a strange effect on her powers— they falter when she uses them in excessive bursts."

My brain was still stuck on the fact that Fetch was pregnant. "Fetch, you got knocked up?"

"Hey!" She yelped, "I didn't plan it… okay, maybe I did, but still."

An idea sprung into my head. "Say it."

"Say what? I'm pregnant?"

I quickly threw a bunch of gold flakes into the air and shouted "congratulations" as loud as I could with a huge grin on my face. Fetch smiled back and Delsin looked proud.

"Ahem." Alice interrupted. "Yes… Now if we can get back on track. David can't come because he has no defense against Sasha's mind control." She wiggled her fingers when she said 'mind control' giving the impression of a puppeteer, "I didn't plan for Jace or Edward to come along, and they would just get in the way." When it looked like they were about to protest, she sternly added, "I've been planning this for nearly a year now, and it is _perfect_ as it is. If either of you even _think _of messing it up, I can guarantee, you'll never see the sun again." Now, while she stood up straight, I could see how much she towered over everyone else. She was taller even than Jace, who was looked six foot something. "Oh, and the plan goes into effect now. You've got an hour to grab anything you need, and then we'll meet back here."

"A hour, great." I got up and heard my back crack as I did so. _God_, I feel old sometimes. All that fast healing stuff should make it impossible to be sore, but sometimes I wonder. "Yeah, well I'm going to go find Zeke-" That was the slightly overweight guy with the sunglasses and the hick accent- "and see what he has to say about my amp." I'd dropped it off, in case you were wondering. He saw me wearing it, and after the fight with Ed he'd taken it off to 'dick around' a bit and make some improvements. "Peace. I'll see you guys later, and maybe we can figure out how to kill my dad."

Damn, that was a depressing sentence. I let my feet carry me down the halls automatically and almost bumped into a few people on the way. _Fuck. I might have to kill my dad. _There was a ball of ice growing in my stomach, fear gathering.

_My dad's strong, like crazy fucking strong. There's no way I could beat him by myself… He can overpower me and control all my metal. I'm stronger now sure, but-_

"You just gonna stand there?" I refocused my attention on Zeke, who has holding out a slightly modified version of my amp. It had a leather grip and was highlighted with gold leaf. I shook my head and reached for it. As soon as my fingers grazed the surface I knew something was different. It was like he'd managed to fit another amp _inside_ the first one. I reached out and grabbed it, trying to pull out the hidden shape inside the metal. What I got… was fuckin' awesome.

The regular amp had morphed into a bigass warhammer, with alternating patterns of chromelike silver and crimson wrappings. The head was rectangular in shape with trapezoid shaped ends, and the handle tapered off into a single, conical spike. All in all it was nearly as tall as me, and it had a leather strap that was attached with metal chains. Zeke grinned.

"You have no _idea _how long it took for me to figure out how to do that."

I ran a hand along it lovingly. "Damn dude, I'll kick some serious ass with this. How'd you make it so light?" It felt like it only weighed about fifteen pounds, which barely anything considering how _big_ the damn thing was.

"Trade secret," he said smugly. "In return, maybe you could show that gun you've been harping about?"

I nodded quickly and shrunk the hammer to Mjolnir proportions, tightening the chain into a loop around the handle and fastening it on my belt. "Yeah. Follow me."

* * *

><p>I kicked opened my door and kicked off my dress shoes. "I'll be a minute, Z." I went in the closet and tossed him my bag with the gun inside.<p>

"Sure thang." I heard him start rifling through my bag, and I quickly changed into my standard uniform: boots, jacket, pop culture shirt and kevlar jeans.

Oh yeah, I picked up some kevlar jeans. What? They're near-indestructible, alright? Don't judge me. Plus, all the clothes Alice had given me were in the wash. _Never _wear clothes unless you wash them first, even if you buy them from a store and especially if you get them from a magic book lady.

Zeke whistled as he looked at the bullets. "Impressive, my man." He shook a bullet at me, "These bullets here, they're not just charged with RFI energy… they also look like they're made out of different materials."

"I could've told you that," I countered. "I can feel it."

_And Kessler told you,_ I heard Alice's mental message and shook my head.

"Still cool. I'll run some tests on that." He looked at the hammer that was hanging from my belt, "You already started modifying it?"

I shrugged and pulled it up off my belt. "It's better this way. I don't feel like carrying around a giant hammer _all_ the time, dude."

"Sure thing. I'm gonna take this back down to my workshop, alright?"

"Wait, hold up." I grabbed a piece of paper and started sketching. "You think you could build something like this for me?" I handed him a rough drawing of a hidden blade and he took it and whistled again.

"Dude, have you actually seen one of these before?"

"Yeah." I fiddled with my jacket and tried to avoid looking at him to dodge any questions he might have.

I swear I saw his eyes get bigger behind his shades. "Where?"

"My girlfriend used to have a set, but they broke."

"Your girlfriend…?" His mouth dropped open, "Bullshit."

I gave a casual shrug, "Whatever. Can you make them or not?"

"Yeah, yeah… I can have these ready in a few days."

I nodded and he left, twirling the gun around his finger and muttering about how crazy it was that my girlfriend was an assassin. I opened my hand that had inadvertently clenched into a fist and pushed the RFI bullet I'd kept into the metal of my hammer, all the way into the center. You never know when a golden bullet might come in handy. I got bored and started playing with my hammer, tossing it around and calling it back. I got to the point where I could chuck it around the room like thor's hammer and keep it in the air the entire time. I tossed it at the door just as Andi walked in and stopped it an inch from her face. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, a rare sight.

"Alright Thor, chill out," she said with a grin, not even flinching, as she brushed the hammer away and came to sit on the bed next to me. "That's the new toy Zeke gave you?"

I laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "Yep. I can make it into a warhammer too." I returned my new amp to it's original shape with a flick of my wrist. Andi's eyes widened.

"Damn."

"I know, right? It's a freaking beast." I thumped the spike into the wooden floorboards beneath us and heard them creak.

Andi pulled out Zhănshǒu and clinked it against my amp. "Have you come up with a name for it yet?"

"I was thinking maybe Anékdotos."

"Unyielding? Awesome." she quickly flicked her sword back into its sheath. "Care to test your hammer against my blade?"

I nodded with a smile."Hell yeah, we got time." I bounced off the bed and rushed down to the training room that I'd never taken the time to explore. It was huge and plain, a bunch of open space with lights hanging from the ceiling… kinda like the batcave from the christopher nolan trilogy. I headed to a wide expanse of floor, which was covered in a cushiony material and clearly meant for sparring. I shifted Anékdotos back to its small form and twirled it around its chain.

Andi unsheathed Zhănshǒu and gripped it with both hands. "Weapons only?"

"Weapons only," I confirmed as I threw Anékdotos with all my might. Andi swung up her sword and deflected it before lunging forward and swinging gracefully at my head. I ducked under her blade and called back my hammer, bringing it up just in time to block the obsidian sword that nearly took my head off.

"I thought I said no powers," Andi reminded me as she swung her blade so quickly it sounded like birdsong.

"I had to get my weapon back somehow," I countered with a grin as we clashed again and sparks flew. I knew she was just having fun, because if we were fighting for real I'd lose in an instant. There's a difference between learning to fight on the streets and being trained as an assassin from birth. I filed away a mental note to ask her for pointers as I jumped backwards and released Anékdotos. Zhănshǒu clashed against the lengthened handle and I spun the warhammer, knocking away Andi's blade before delivering a vicious blow to her unguarded left side. I _might_ have overdone it because she got launched across the room and crashed through the wall. I winced, "Andi?"  
>She responded by darting over, punching me in the face and sending me flying into the <em>other<em> wall. I groaned and rubbed my head, which was now pounding.

Andi appeared with a smile. "What's the matter?" she asked sweetly.

"You hit like a girl," I grumbled as she pulled me out of the wall.

"I know." She planted a kiss on my forehead and dragged me back to the center, kicking the oriental sword into her hand and resuming her battle stance. "Again."

I raised my warhammer and we crossed weapons in a splash of sparks. I have no idea how in the hell she was so agile and quick, but for the rest of our impromptu sparring session I didn't land a single hit on her. That's not to say she didn't land any hits on me; she was trying to carve me up like thanksgiving turkey. That was only because we found out that my skin turned to metal when she tried cutting me. I guess it was the other half of my defense powers that I'd gained from the blast core.

The time flew by and soon enough I lowered Anékdotos, panting heavily. "Alright, I yield. We gotta get back anyways."

"Already?" Andi pouted at me and sheathed her obsidian blade, "I was just getting warmed up."

I shrunk my hammer and hung it off my belt, giving Andi a gentle punch in the shoulder. "Why do you feel compelled to crush my pride?"

"You _do_ tend to need reminding that you're my bitch," she said with a grin. She slipped her hand into mine as we walked down the hall to the next room. Everyone else was already there, waiting.

Alice looked directly at me. "You're late."

I threw a hand up in protest. "Why do I get blamed?!"

"Because Andi is punctual," she pointed out. "You, on the other hand, are not."

I grimaced because she was right, and sat down on the couch that I'd taken a decisive liking to. "So, are we heading out now?"

"Yes, now that we're all here." Alice produced one of her damn books. "You'll get instructions when we arrive at our destinations." The book began to glow, and I quickly interrupted.

"Wait, wait!"

She gave me a glare that could have frozen over hell. "What, **Vincent**?"

"Uh…" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, "Is that a horror book?" Alice's face immediately softened and she gave me what I'm sure to her must have been a comforting smile. It creeped me out a little bit, though.

"No, Vince. It's not." And with that, a brilliant white and soft-pink light sprung out of the book and I was swept away in a paper blizzard.

* * *

><p>The paper cleared and I found myself in front of what looked like a run-down pawn shop. "The hell?"<p>

"My thoughts exactly." I turned around to see Kristil staring at the shop with an unreadable look on her face.

A london accent caught my ears. "It looks like a pawn shop." Ash was standing slightly behind us both, buzzcut and all. "Why would we come to a pawn shop?"

"Because we are looking for someone who does not want to be found." Alice, appearing from nowhere, walked up to the door. Before opening it, she turned back and looked at all of us. "I specifically picked you three because you have the capabilities to resist mental attacks. The opponent we will be facing uses black tar. Do not allow a single drop to touch you, or she will control your thoughts." With that, she pushed the door open and went inside.

I stared at the little flickering neon sign in complete silence. Kristil was the first to break the silence with a shrug.

"Well, we're not getting anything done out here." She pulled her knife out of her light-tan leather jacket and went inside.

I pulled Anékdotos off my belt and followed after her. Ash caught up to me a second later. "So, whatcha think is going on?"

"Dunno. Alice probably has a reason for it." I saw the state of the man who'd been working the counter: his body was shoved up against the wall at a weird angle, and his wrist was snapped, still holding onto a gun. There was a rug thrown across the room and a trapdoor flung open. Without a second thought, I jumped down, and Ash followed. We were running down an annoying long hallway when he spoke up again.

"Do you like it here?"

"Not at all. This hallway needs a new interior decorator," I quipped as we turned a corner, following the trail of bodies and the sound of explosions.

Ash rolled his eyes, "No. I mean this world."

I looked at him, confused. "Dude, what?" We skidded into a enormous underground room and immediately had to duck under a blob of black tar.

He realized his mistake and quickly tried stammering something out. "Er, I mean Seattle!" He called up a wall of Ice to block more blasts of tar.

I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. "No, you said _world_." I've always believed in alternate dimensions…. and this guy practically admitted he was from one.

"Can we argue about this later?" He snapped while whipping out a compact bow that unfolded like Hawkeye's from the avengers movie. He raised it, formed a bowstring from cryoenergy and began firing ice bolts at the woman who surrounded herself in a shell of tar.

"Sure thing." I turned my full attention to the woman who we were doing battle with. She wore a ragged red hood and the lower half of her body was covered in tar. Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes… they were solid black. I unleashed a wave of metal shrapnel, trying to catch her attention. It worked, she whipped around and snarled at me, froth flying from her mouth.

"Poor boy, boo-hoo! Daddy wants you dead and your mommy doesn't love you!"

_What the hell?_ I thought as I dodged a wave of her deadly tar. _I thought the bracelet blocked her from reading my thoughts…_

Her eyes lit up viciously, a tempest swirling in them. "Poor boy! Poor boy! Worthless piece of trash boy! You hate your daddy and you want him to die, you hate your daddy because he made Andi cry!"

"Fuck you," I growled before I threw my hammer as hard as I could. It cracked her right across the face, and I watched blood spurt from her nose… only to stop a second later.

"Vincent!" Alice snapped, "get ahold of yourself! She's playing you, don't let it-" A huge tentacle of tar reached out and wrapped around her body before dragging her into the giant pool that the woman was standing in. She screamed something at Kristil before she was pulled in, but I couldn't make it out. The woman returned her attention to me.

"Poor boy! Poor boy! I'll kill her and make you watch! I'll get my barrel and make her a little notch!"

I could feel adrenaline rushing through my veins and rage clouding my thoughts… I lost control. I charged right for her, letting out a roar as I sent a torrent of metal rushing forward to overwhelm and kill her. She was way too agile, and nimbly lept out of the way before swinging her arm forwards and blasting tar at me. I was completely unprepared for the torrent, and tried to shield myself as much as I could, but was knocked back and completely drenched. She giggled maniacally and flitted over to my side, ignoring the attacks thrown at her by Ash and whatever Kristil was doing, encasing us in a shell of tar.

"Poor boy, you work for me. I think I'll make you kill Andi." She beckoned to me with a finger, and I prepared myself to fight her will to my last breath.

Nothing happened. She crooked her finger again, and I felt nothing. No overwhelming desire to serve, no loss of free will, nothing.

_The tar isn't touching my skin_, I realized with a start. _My skin is metal. _ My body must have interpreted the pitch as an attack and changed in response. I couldn't help but grin, even though some of the tar got in my mouth. "There's one problem with your plan."

"Oh?" She bent down and looked at me curiously. "And what would that be, poor boy?"

I felt my grin turn savage. "I don't work for you, _bitch_."

She giggled some more. "Of course you-"

I jumped up and punched her with everything I had. She smashed through the tar shell and went flying, skidding across the floor. I jumped up and Ash rushed to me, hands blazing with cryoenergy.

"Holy shit! How'd you do that?"

I laughed. "The tar needs skin contact to work. My skin turns into metal when I get attacked. She can't control me."

His eyes widened and he swore some more. "Damn."

"I know, right?" I wiped some tar off my face, "So-"

"A little help?!" Kristil yelled from the other side of the room.

I shrugged and looked at Ash, who grinned back at me. "Let's end her." We leapt across the room using our extremely similar jumps, and raised shields in front of Kristil just as tar surged towards her. I landed next to her and smiled.

"Yo."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're alive."

"You surprised?" I asked nonchalantly while blasting a rocket at the woman.

"You seem to have a penchant for cheating death," she replied drolly. "I need you to get me in close. You _can _accomplish that, correct?"

"You're bloody right," Ash interrupted, a look of determination on his face. "She killed Alice, and I want my revenge." I realized he was right; I'd forgotten about her in the short time I'd been attacked.

"Alright, Ash. On my mark…" I raised my hand and Anékdotos soared towards me, morphing into the warhammer form in midair. As my fingers closed around the handle, I yelled "mark!" and we both dashed out from behind cover. The woman lashed out with thick pulses of pitch, put I skirted around most of them, and smashed the rest out of the way with my favorite warhammer. Inch by inch, I danced closer to the woman, and she screamed in frustration before trying to drag me into the pool of tar that'd gathered under her feet. I smashed the tentacles with my hammer and them got close enough to hit her full force in the chest just as Ash nailed her with an ice rocket. Her body jerked like a ragdoll and zoomed across the room and into the wall. She hit so hard there was a crater. I immediately jumped after her and drove the spiked end of Anékdotos into her wrist and through the wall while pinning her foot with a foot-long metal spike.

She screamed in unearthly agony, and it sounded like a cornered beast. She tried to smite me with her free arm, but Ash froze it over along with her other foot, using his bow to launch the ice.

"It's over," he muttered, obviously unnerved by how I'd practically crucified the woman. I personally couldn't give less fucks.

"No, you liar, liar pants on fire," she growled. "The little boy who ran worlds away… you will die here, and no one will visit your grave!" Her eyes glowed with an unholy light, and tar surged up in the form of spears before I could blink. They surged forward and… stopped. Right in front of my face.

"Forget about me, did you?" Kristil approached from behind us, palm outstretched. The tar in the air wobbled, then flowed past us to surround Kristil. She kept pulling from the woman, who was screaming even louder now, until she was surrounded by a slowly-swirling vortex, which held every drop of tar in the place. Then, without warning, the tar turned inwards and flowed into the Converted's veins. She absorbed it all. Every. last. drop.

"Holy shite," Ash murmured. "I didn't know she could steal powers."

"I'm just as lost as you, buddy." I couldn't believe my eyes, and it got even more surreal as Kristil let some of the pitch flow from her fingers, and it poured itself into the shape of a person… Alice. As soon as the last drop fell, Alice's color and features returned, and she began hacking and coughing, falling to her knees and spitting up phlegm mixed with tar.

The woman had gone completely silent, and the only sounds were that of Alice expelling the last bits of tar from her lungs.

"What are you?" The woman asked in a tone of awe, not fear or pain like she was supposed to. Hell, I was freaking the fuck out on the inside and about five seconds from losing it if someone didn't explain some shit, and I didn't even get my powers stolen.

Kristil smiled and walked over to the woman. "Oh, _darling_." She ran a hand under the woman's chin and the caress seemed almost caring. "I'm a **nightmare** dressed like a daydream." Her hand left the woman's cheek, and the woman's head drooped before falling to her chest. Alice whipped out a book, and a beam of crimson shot out, encased the woman, and pulled her in with a rustle of pages. There was silence for a good two minutes before I spoke up.

"Really, Kristil? Taylor _Swift_? Of all the completely badass quotes you could have chosen, you quoted Taylor _fucking _Swift_?_"

She sniffed at me and did a snooty little hair flip, and her black mane rippled like her newly-acquired tar. "I thought it sounded appropriate."

Ash and I shared a look. "Luke, I am your father would have been more appropriate," he said with raised eyebrow, and we high-fived with matching grins on our faces.

Kristil sighed and rolled her jasper eyes. "Boys."

"They're right," Alice said, giving me what I'm sure she thought was a conspiratorial grin; "I personally would have gone with 'I'm an angel. I'm a demon. I'm stuck in between. I will be whatever is required to protect those I love, whether that takes me to the gates of heaven or the depths of hell.' Taylor Swift was very anti-climactic."

Kristil rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance as the three of us burst into raucous and unrestrained laughter. "Everyone's a critic."

I wiped my eyes and let out another chuckle. "C'mon Kris, look on the bright side. At least you're a fully-fledged conduit now."

Kristil smiled at that and let some tar swirl around her finger. "I suppose I am."

"So, Alice," Ash interrupted with a glance at the book she held. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Oh," she began, with a creepy grin working across her face, "I have an idea."

* * *

><p>There was a homeless man using a trashcan as a fireplace. He looked up in surprise to see four people approach him, all dressed strangely and looking even stranger, with impossible eye colors and outlandish weapons. The woman in a grey trenchcoat wearing a ratty backpack held out a book.<p>

"Here. Fuel for the fire." With a flick of her wrist, she sent the book into the flames, and soon the pages began to blacken as hungry orange tongues licked at the fresh kindling. The man looked up from the fire to the group and was nearly blinded by a flash of light. When the white faded, there was no one left in the alley but him.

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><p>Aww Yisss! I finally put out a new chapter! It's good to be back, lemme tell ya. I've been really busy with school, so sorry for not updating at all for a really, really long time. I'm going to try hard to put the next chapter out by next week, but no promises. As always, if you liked it, leave a review. Stay awesome, you amazing people!<p>

~Kole (Zeta)


	20. Chapter 20: Wonderland Falling

The light faded and we found ourselves at the front of the new GOLIATH headquarters, which (un)surprisingly was hidden within a ring of mountains. Alice wasted no time in rushing off to the front gate, which had been blasted open and torn off it's hinges. There was a giant hangar gate that had been forced open and inside there was a huge battle that raged. We took off sprinting and as we got closer I shuddered at the destruction inside.

Nexi was unconscious, on the floor with a trail of dried blood on the corner of her mouth. She lay behind a very battered and worn-down Delsin, who was constantly raising shields made of concrete to protect the fallen Converted. Andi and Celia were actually working together to fight a seemingly infinite army of GOLIATH soldiers, and even though their movements were graceful and lethal-looking I could tell that they were tired and running low on energy. _I thought the DUP were bad. These guys are in a league of their own… and I'd bet there's more than just the usual henchmen and Faceless._ I jumped and landed next to Delsin.

"What's going on, man?" With a flick of my wrist I surrounded us almost entirely in a metal dome and Delsin sighed in relief, dropping to the ground.

"We got sent here with a map and instructions to destroy the 'weapon'. The 'weapon' was a person and the person was moved… This whole thing was just a giant ambush and we walked right into it." He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. "We've been fighting for hours. If it wasn't for your girlfriend and Celia we would have been dead already."

"Damn."

"Yeah, they're like both assassins or something." I gave him a look and he shook his head, "No, seriously. Celia started saying that she was the better one and the fight that's raging is technically a competition. I think Andi's winning though."

I smiled at the thought of Andi wreaking havoc. "That's cause Celia wasn't trained by the Brotherhood."

"What?"

"Long story that I don't know all the details to." I peeked out from behind my dome, "Andi, Celia! Fall back, now!"

Andi immediately jumped backwards, wings unfolding. Before she could make it to the dome, a Faceless lashed out with their metal whip that curled around her leg and began pulling her back. I was about to jump out and help when shit went down. 1.) A pulse of multi-colored ink loosened the whip allowing Andi to slip free. 2.) She raised her hand and drained the man's outfit of all _color. _ 3.) Andi brought a hand forward and fired a single blast of compacted ink that slammed into the Faceless, punched a hole through his head and blew a hole into the floor. She flew back over and her now-luminous violet and white wings faded when she landed.

I immediately yanked her into a hug and glared at Delsin. "You didn't tell me she got an upgrade."

"I didn't know she did. I thought she always had that power."

"I'm still here and awake," Andi muttered. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. And yes, Vince, I got new powers. My normal ink blast got turned into some kind of super-powered bullet, and now I can absorb _colors_... not just ink, but the pigments themselves." She raised a hand and I watched the colors flow off of my clothes as they turned all white.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's pretty cool, but… now these clothes are gonna get dirty really quick."

Andi sighed and drove her elbow into my side. "Idiot."

"Ow!" I rubbed my side and wondered why the hell I didn't turn into metal for that. I noticed that bullets were no longer hitting our little safe haven so I peeked out again to see Celia dashing and jumping around like a madwoman, tossing paper knives as fast as she could while trying to avoid bullets. It wasn't working and shots were starting to graze her. I yelled at her. "CELIA!"

"Not now, Magneto! Kinda busy murdering these ugly bastards!"

"She's gonna get herself killed," Andi said with accompanying eye roll. I agreed and tossed my own whip-like metal fiber at Celia, wrapping it around her waist, before yanking her towards me. I caught her face with my outstretched arm and she slammed into the ground, knocked out. Delsin and Andi gave me looks. Delsin's look said 'really?' but Andi's was one of approval. "What? She wouldn't have stopped otherwise." Andi gave a curt nod and Delsin grumbled agreement. Bullets began pinging off the shell again and with a wave of my hand I thickened it. In a few moments, Kristil and Ash joined us behind the shield.

"Leaving me to do all the work while you hide with your girlfriend?" She asked, eyes flashing.

I shrugged. "Can't you just swamp them with tar and take over their minds?"

"I-" Kristil paused and looked at me with surprise. "That's actually a good plan."

"It happens," I said with a nod. "Now, you wanna do it, or are we just gonna sit here?"

Kristil rolled her eyes and stepped out from behind the shell before sending a veritable tsunami of tar rushing across the open ground of the hangar. It engulfed most of the soldiers and Faceless and those that dodged were soon struck by thin whips of the viscous liquid. I watched the troops stand still, frozen in place, before they began marching towards her. Not a single one showed signs of resistance as they bowed, one by one, to their new ruler.

Then there was a laugh, from one of the Faceless who was covered in tar. Those masks still officially creeped the fuck out of me. In fact, I still wasn't sure if they even _were _masks.

"You cannot control _our_ minds, foolish girl. Your powers are nothin-"

Kristil clenched her hand and the tar coating all of the Faceless turned into spikes, impaling them in a split second. "What was that about my powers?" she asked, a rather self satisfied smirk on her face. With a wave of her hand, the normal troops rose and assumed defensive positions around the room.

I got up and walked over, half impressed and half scared. "Yo Kris."

"It's Kristil," she reminded me. "What?"

"Remember how I said you needed to train an army?"

"Yes, it was another one of your halfway decent suggestions," she said while picking at her nails.

"Well," I waved a hand at the assembled troops, "Now you've got one."

Kristil shrugged. "I don't know if bringing them back is a good idea. The mind control might not be permanent."

"We can always ask Alice…" I looked around, only to find the hangar devoid of one strange bookworm. "Where the hell is Alice, anyways?" As soon as I asked the question, the ground below us began rumbling and in a split second, the floor erupted in a blast of white light. Alice came flying up, holding a book out that was projecting a translucent shield in front of her, and deflecting the light.

She whipped out another book and I watched as a giant crimson dragon fashioned from electricity burst out and streamed down into the hole. Alice flew down after it and there was another blast of light, this time red. Two bodies flew up and out of the hole before landing with a sickening crunch and rolling towards us. One was a bald man dressed in a red flannel shirt and blue jeans. The other was wearing an off-white leather jacket with matching hood and black jeans… I squinted. something about his long, shaggy black hair and barely-tanned skin seemed familiar. I nudged him with my foot and he groaned, so I rolled him onto his back. He wore the exact same hawk that Delsin had on his back, except the white had been replaced with black and the blue had been replaced with bright green. With a start I realized who it was. "Raven?!"

"Ugh…" The shadow and light conduit rolled over and mumbled something about Kessler. He opened his eyes, which were still emerald green, and jumped about a foot in the air.

"Vince?!"

Raven was the one who got me to believe in alternate dimensions in the first place, having claimed to have travelled through three of them. I told him he was full of shit, until he stepped through a glowing crack in the wall and vanished. I gave him a hand and pulled him up from the floor. "What happened, man? I thought you left!"

"I did… and then the worlds started folding in on each other. I was about to die, but Wonderland pulled me out. She brought me here and I drifted for a few years… until she came back and asked me for some help. I said yes, obviously." He frowned and looked at the hole, hearing the sounds of a raging battle. "My scythe's down there… damn." Almost instantly something flew out of the hole in the ground and landed right in front of Raven. It was his scythe. It looked all steampunk and techno-ey. The large blade was smoothed and curved in the front but it morphed into jagged squares as it attached to the handle. It then radiated from the back in a partial snowflake design. It was black, edged with bronze and had a single emerald in the middle of the snowflake. The handle tapered off into a point, and was encircled by what looked like jagged bolts of black lightning. The top also had that added effect. It looked fucking beast, and I would have totally been jealous if not for the warhammer currently slung across my back.

"Gah… dammit." The bald guy grumbled and turned his head to face Raven, leaving blood trails on the concrete floor. "Hey, kid, you got any more smoke?"

"Only a little, Hank." Raven answered. "There's not enough shadows in here for me to charge from the ambient energy, so make this count." He stretched one hand towards Hank and raised the other in the air. I watched as he drained every shadow in the place, jet-black smoke flowing into his hand. I looked behind me at my own shadow and found that it wasn't there.

Hank began pulling the shadows out of Raven's other hand with a hunger. As soon as they made contact with his palm, little sparks danced upwards. He finished and managed to make it to a sitting position.

"Thanks," he grumbled. "Goddamn Kessler wasn't supposed to be here."

Raven nodded and pulled up his hood but not before I noticed how bloodshot his eyes were. "Tell me about it."

"Where's that other guy?" Hank asked, running hand over his shaved head. His hick accent was _really_ getting on my nerves. "C-somethin?"

"Casper," Raven confirmed. "He's still down there-"

An azure sphere of light and book pages came floating up out of the hole. It landed gently before spitting out someone I'd never thought I'd see again.

"Wire man?!"

He coughed up blood and looked over at me. "It's… you."

I ran over to him and propped his head up. We didn't exactly part on good terms, but the guy was dying because he tried to help kill Kessler. That made him alright in my book. "Dude, the hell happened to you?"

"Kessler," he managed to cough out, flecking me with blood. "Not much time, please… get Delsin."

"Hey D, get over here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Delsin quickly boulder-dashed over to where the four of us were sitting. He saw Casper bleeding out in my arms and immediately got serious.

"What's up?"

Before I could stop him, Casper lunged out of my grasp and grabbed onto Delsin. The reaction was immediate, and I watched as light began to flow between the two. Delsin looked like he wanted to scream, but he opted for biting his lip until it bled. Casper, on the other hand, was on death's door and way beyond the point where anything hurt. As soon as the power transfer was complete, he dropped to the ground, dead. His body coated itself in silver barbed wire before dissolving into dust.

I didn't want to know what it looked like when one of us died. Eugene getting shot was bad enough, but this… this was depressing. At least Eugene left behind a body. What would happen to me when I died? Would I turn into metal and rust away or dissolve into iron sand and scatter on the winds? "Fuck."

Everyone else was surprisingly quiet. The silence was finally broken when Delsin absorbed some concrete straight from the ground. "I uh, don't think using new powers would be a great idea right now," he mumbled, jamming his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Hank was the first one to speak up. "Good thinking, kid. You been practicing those smoke tricks I gave ya?"

"Every day," Delsin responded with a sad chuckle.

"Good." There was silence before Delsin spoke up again.

"What happened, man? Didn't you run away with your daughter?"

I watched Hank fidget uncomfortably. "Yeah, I did… but then that Wonderland woman came and asked for my help. I told her to piss off, and she did. Then Kessler kidnapped my daughter, and she came back. I mean, I had no choice. I can't let that fucker hurt her."

"Guys." Ash called us over. He was fiddling with a bit of paper in his hands.

"Does this look like the time for Origami?" Raven sounded pissed.

Ash shot him a dirty look, "I got Celia's Paper powers. This doohickey should let me know what's going on down there."

Raven smirked. "Why? Are you scared to jump down to have a look?" I got no idea why he's immediately taken a disliking to Ash. Raven isn't the irrational type, though, so there must be a reason.

"No. I'm clever enough _not _to jump down to have a look, and _die_." He responded coldly (pun not intended.)

Andi came over and sat beside me, wordlessly leaning into my shoulder. I leaned my head onto hers and listened to the battle raging below. "I wonder who's wi-"

Alice came flying straight up out of the hole, impaled by what looked like shards of ebony wood. She thudded into the ceiling, limbs spread in a crucifixion pose. The wood began to crawl all over her, and giant, luminous cobalt flowers began to bloom. Her silvery blood dripped from multiple wounds, and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

I heard Ash swear behind me as I jumped to my feet and activated iron sand, the black grains swirling around my body in readiness. Andi unsheathed her sword and I saw Raven place his hand above Hank's. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched them begin to draw power from each other, creating a naturally-occurring vacuum in the middle of the smoky shadows.

A figure floated upwards from the hole. Kessler (or Lorcan, if that even was his first name) was wearing a bright white trenchcoat with a hood that masked his face completely. All I could see was two burning orange eyes and a shock of silver hair that poked out from under the hood. Then he grinned, and I saw that his pearly whites gleaming at us like the Cheshire cat.

"Hello, children."

"What the hell changed?" Ash stepped forward, eyes and hands blazing blue. "Your teeth used to be rotten, and your coat was fucking grimy."

The smile disappeared and the eyes blinked, like the man was considering how to dumb down what he was about to say. "I… got an upgrade, shall we say." He raised his hands and spun around in the air, showing off the back of the trenchcoat which had a neon orange Celtic diamond on the back. "I'm much stronger than last time." He snickered to himself before continuing, "Not that you stood a chance last time." With a chuckle he waved his hand, restoring the concrete floor completely before landing on it softly. "Now…. I believe you are going to fight me, yes?"

"You're goddamn right!" Raven and Hank yelled at the same time before raising their hands and firing a giant blast of smoke and shadows that took the shape of a oriental dragon, which surged forward before snapping its jaws shut on Kessler and exploding. We all jumped back in unison to avoid the blast that surged through the hangar/garage, crashing into crates, vehicles, and some unlucky GOLIATH soldiers under Kristil's control. I watched Raven land, stumble, and crash into the ground, KO'd. Funnily enough, he landed right next to Nexi, who was being watched by Kristil. She immediately waved her hands and covered them in a shield of solidified tar. I looked to Andi, pleading with my eyes for her to fall back because if Alice couldn't kill Kessler there was no way in hell that dragon did. She acquiesced and flew even further backwards, landing next to Kristil.

"A valiant effort to protect her," the gravelly voice said from behind me, "but you will all die in the end." I didn't even have time to turn before he lashed out. Luckily, my sands caught his arm and I was able to dash away to a safe distance. He cocked his head and I could feel his stare boring into me, like he was trying to dissect me with his eyes. "Curious. You've developed new powers."

"You're damn right!" I shouted, while brandishing my warhammer. I gave him a fierce grin, but in reality I was scared shitless. _How the hell did he get behind me so quick?_

"However," Lorcan continued as he freed his arm from my sand. "It seems that your metamorphosis is incomplete. Allow me to assist you with that." He raised a book and I heard Alice try and say something from the ceiling. A blast of black thorns surged outwards. My sand raised itself in response… and the thorns cut right through it and impaled themselves in my skin, immediately growing and enveloping me in a cocoon of brambles. The same flowers that bloomed around Alice began to to grow on me, except mine were bronze. Let me tell you this: it fucking _hurt_! For every flower that bloomed, I could feel my energy slipping away. Eventually my eyes started to flutter closed…

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><p>I found myself in a void of white. I was standing on something, but I couldn't tell what or where.<p>

"Hello, Vincent." I turned around to find someone who looked suspiciously like a dead rock star.

"The fuck?"

He shrugged and reached into the pocket of his grungy blue jeans, pulling out a flyer. "You're dead." He passed me the flyer which said 'paradise' in big golden letters across the front. "So now you've got a choice. Since you _technically_-" he looked up at where the sky would have been before continuing, "died for the greater good, the man upstairs is giving you a choice. Go to paradise, and be at peace forever. Your time as a warrior will become a faint memory." He shrugged. "Or you can go back."

"Back to life?"

"Yeah." He gave me a half-smirk, "I get the feeling that you'll go with option number two."  
>I nodded, rapidly. "Hell yeah. I'm not gonna sit on my ass up here and do nothing."<p>

The man rolled his eyes. "Ah, teen spirit. I can smell it on you."

I tensed up, slightly. "Did… you just make a joke?"

He rolled his eyes again, and folded his arms disapprovingly. "What, because I'm a cosmic entity I'm doomed to lack humor?"

"Well…" I looked up from the brochure. "Yes?"

He raised an eyebrow before waving his hand in dismissal. "Get outta here, kid. You're too funny to be a dead guy."

* * *

><p>I woke up inside my thorny cage. I… couldn't exactly remember what had happened, but for some reason I was even more determined to kick Kessler's ass. Ash was currently fighting the bastard, encased inside a gigantic version of a Frost Atronach from Skyrim. Delsin was mimicking Augustine's giant concrete manta rayscorpion/lizard thing. The two were (in)completely dominating Kessler, who was reduced to teleporting out of range and blocking their attacks.

"Time to tip the scales," I mumbled to myself. What? It's totally normal to talk to yourself… sometimes. I began charging my powers and noticed right away that they felt different, in a good way. They felt stronger.

Hey, I could live with that. Iron sand erupted from my body, shattering my cage just as Ash's atronach form crumbled and he fell to the ground, clutching at his head. Kessler was about to punch him in the face so I threw my hand outwards, willing some sort of attack to go forwards and stop him.

I sure as hell didn't expect two giant, clawed hands comprised entirely of sand to fly out and crush him.

"Hell. Yes!" I flicked a wrist and one of the hands carried Ash to safety dumping him unceremoniously behind cover. "I'm Gaara! I'm literally mothafuckin' Gaara!" I felt like a lumberjack in a chainsaw store; eager to test out my new tricks.  
>The hand that was pinning Kessler down exploded in a shower of black grains. His burning orange orbs narrowed as he looked at me. "Impressive. Also, extremely annoying." He held up his stolen book, but before he could fire it he was crushed under one of Delsin's giant concrete legs. The head of the Concrete leviathan turned to face me, and one of the glowing yellow eyes winked.<p>

A shockwave ricocheted up the concrete appendage, shattering it. Before I could react, Kessler had blown the Leviathan to bits and sent Delsin rocketing in my direction. I caught him with my new giant claws and lowered him to the ground. He shot me a thumbs up.  
>"Dude, what's with the new clothes?"<p>

"What?" I looked down and found that not only did I have Gaara powers… I also had his Kazekage outfit. The once-red robe was black. The vest that lay on top of the robe was also black, but had gold trimmings running along the edge. The wrappings around my waist were also black with gold trim, but my combat boots and pants stayed the same. They were black to begin with, so it really didn't matter. Anywhoo back to the fight.

Kessler had pulled one of his sleeves up, revealing a gleaming metal arm. "Not that this hasn't been fun, but I'm starting to get bored. No further information stands to be gleaned from the pair of you, and you will be disposed of accordingly."

"Oh, really?" Delsin smiled, and I watched as smoke started flowing around his arms. "I hate to break it to ya, pal, but it's not gonna be that easy."

Kessler grinned like a madman. "Oh, but it will be." And in an instant he was behind Delsin, his fist striking…

Empty air. Delsin was nowhere to be seen. A puff of smoke and fire quickly disappeared where he once stood. I raised my hand and smashed Kessler into the ground with a claw, flying away on my own personal sand cloud. I reached the other end of the garage before I realized we were the only ones there. _Where did everyone get to?_ Even Alice was missing, her body no longer hanging from the ceiling.

My thoughts were interrupted by Kessler attempting to smash his hand into the crown of my head. My sand sprung up to shield me and a hole opened in my cloud as I dropped down, out of range for the moment. "That all ya got?" I taunted before exploding the sand with a wave of my hand.

"Hardly," came the reply from directly behind me. I braced for impact, but the blow never came. I heard a gurgling sound and turned around to find Kessler encased in an oily substance that trailed back to Delsin's foot. His hands were glowing with smoke and fire, and he grinned.

"Weren't expecting that, were ya? Vince, get out of the way."

I dashed back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Delsin. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, this napalm won't hold forever," His eyes started glowing orange, "So I'm gonna make it go boom." And he did. The explosion was impressive but not particularly large as flaming napalm flew everywhere.

"Futile." That was all I heard before something crashed into the side of my head and the world went dark.

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><p>Hey, busted out another chapter! Who's excited?! So the end of this series has been planned out! But don't worry, there's a few sequels in the works that Haru and I are itching to get to. Not that the current story isn't beast, but… What's coming up is even more so. Stay awesome you guys!<p>

~Kole (Zeta)

_((Just so you people know, I don't itch… I shiver. Oh and really sorry for delaying this update… that was completely my fault ~Haru))_


	21. Chapter 21: Emerald Entropy

So obviously last chapter some next level bullshit happened and I really explained absolutely nothing. I will endeavor to explain some shit now.

Addressing Vince's new powers: A prime conduit is really only limited by their imagination. Since Vince watched way too much Naruto as a kid (he wore the headband and ran around with his arms sticking out backwards and everything), it makes sense that he would (consciously or unconsciously) model his newfound sand abilities after Gaara's. For maximum awesome, of course. I'm really not sure how effective that shit would be in battle. Couldn't you just step out of the way of the giant hand looming over you?

His clothes: That's explained in passing in this chapter. His powers 'overwrote' what he was wearing and made all his clothes from metal in order to provide another layer of protection as well as acting on Vince's BAMF complex, thereby making him look cooler and helping absorb some damage. Seriously. That kid is compensating for( the fact that he used to wear a Naruto headband and run around with his arms out backwards. There's pictures around here somewhere, I swear) something with his over the top badassery.

The Mysterious Dead Guy: He's important. Pay attention to him, because he will show up in the future. He has a pivotal role to play… as well as several concerts in paradise. If you can guess who he is/appears to be, you win one question about this series that I'll answer, even if it's about the sequels (No, he's not God). Obviously I will not give away any major spoilers, like Kessler's identity or the ending Haru and I have planned for the series. Pretty much everything else is on the table though.

Stay awesome and remember: Reviews are love.

Sidenote: There's some random singing in this chapter… feel free to skip it. Nothing pivotal happens during it, I promise.

~Kole (Zeta)

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><p>When I woke up, I did <em>not<em> feel like P. Diddy. Nor was I in a new bugatti. I was also not covered in hoes. Instead my head throbbed like shit and I was in one of those crappy hospital beds, the kind that wasn't even adjustable. Damn it, why did I always get knocked out? It was like I was cursed or something. I noticed that an Iv was hung next to me and I watched the saline drip down for a few minutes before I refocused myself on my surroundings. I was resting a drab white room with cabinets and tons of medical equipment inside. _I'm either at the mansion or with the converted_, I reasoned before trying to sit up. Luckily, my head didn't spin (too much) and I was able to get over to the side of the bed. I looked down to my left arm and jerked the needle out, watching my crimson blood swell before my skin healed over in an instant. I flicked the drop away and absorbed the needle, feeling a small degree of relief wash over me. I reached out for the Iv stand and did the same, and the headache went from a migraine to a dull throb to nothing. Feeling safe to stand, I did, and moved about the was a plate covered in foil and I absorbed the foil to reveal…

Cookies. Well, not really cookies, but little circles of multi-colored scrap. There was a note that said _Alice in Wonderland_ and had a little bunny-eared smiley face at the end. I smiled and set the note aside before placing my hands on the metal and pulling it into me. It felt warm and comforting and I swear I could hear the whisper of an old friend as I reconnected with my powers. The plate was eventually empty and I moved from that to a chair where my newly silver jacket was sitting. _It used to look more purple._ I picked it up and noted with amusement that there was a dark red heartless logo on the back, with a three-pointed crown above it. There's probably some message about my subconscious in there. I shrugged it on and opened the door just to run into a frantic looking Jace. _So I am at the Converted's place. _

"Vince! You gotta come help, Ed's being a stubborn asshole!"

I winced at how loud he was and put up a hand to stop him from coming closer. "And this is my problem how?"

"Because he went to get revenge for Darren and Kessler's got him," The albino said in one breath. "And I need your help because you're the only one besides Delsin and Ash who even stood a ghost of a chance against him and I've never fought him before and Celia reckons it's stupid to go help but I can tell she wants him back but is obviously cautious about fighting Kessler." _How the heck did he say all that without breathing?_

"Dude, I just got up from…" I waved a hand at the medical room, hoping he'd catch my drift. The desperate hope in his eyes remained and I sighed, covering a my face with a hand. "You're not gonna give up, are you?"

"No, he won't." Celia's voice rang from behind me and I could feel my old headache coming back with a vengeance. "And you'd better come with me."

"Or what?" I asked, tiredly. "You'll kill me? You know you can't even cut me with your stupid little knives, right?"

Celia's eyes flashed and in an instant she had a knife at my throat. She pressed it in an attempt to draw blood, but my skin turned to metal and refused to yield. After a few moments, she retracted the knife, noticeably annoyed.

"Case in point," I said with a hand wave. "I feel like shit anyways, so unless you have a _whole_ lot of metal I won't be much use."

"Come with me." Her hand lashed out and grabbed my wrist, dragging me through the halls while Jace watched us go, hands in his hair.

"What, your boyfriend's not coming with us?"

The glare I got in return could have killed me. "No. Kessler doesn't need to know about his powers." Celia kicked a door open and we were in an alley, as per usual. All these hideouts have exits that lead to alleys. Why? I decided to ponder that later, because what I saw sitting in front of me brought a smile to my face.

"You got my car."

Celia snorted. "Of course. You're too weak to go running around rooftops just yet."

I saw Delsin leaning on the car and chatting with Ash. He saw me and did that universal head nod to acknowledge me. I nodded right back and walked up to the pair. "Yo."

"Sup man?" Delsin stuck his fist out and we bumped knuckles. "Good to see you up and around." He chuckled and handed me the keys. "Four days, man. You had us worried."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Four days? Damn."

Ash confirmed this with a slight tilt of his head. "Kessler hit ya pretty hard, mate."

I slid over the hood to get the the driver's seat, and upon entering I turned the key, listening to the comforting sound of the engine rumbling. Everyone piled in, Delsin and Celia in the back and Ash in the front. I pulled out of the alley and tried to figure out what to say to Ash. "Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. At least I got more powerful."

Celia shoved a Note 4 at me. "Here's your phone. Follow the directions."

I took the phone and put it in a cup holder. "You ever considered acting like less of a bitch?" I glanced into the rear-view to see if she had a reaction. She didn't. "I honestly don't give a fuck about Ed, and here you are asking me to save him. Would it _kill_ you to be slightly nicer?"

"Probably not," she deadpanned, "But why risk it?"

I raised the finger in her direction before making a turn into a scrap yard. "Really? This is your plan to get me back on my feet?"

"It should work," the paper conduit replied, motioning for me to get out of my car. I decided to go with it, and got out, walking to what I thought would be a safe distance before spreading my arms and calling all the available scrap to me in one grand movement. I closed my eyes as I felt all the metal levitate and then rip itself to shreds as it flowed into my open arms.

* * *

><p>I got back in the car after removing about three tons of scrap from the yard. I shifted gears and pulled out of the yard, and my phone pinged with new directions courtesy of the paper bitch.<p>

Delsin whistled. "That, my man, was impressive."

I shrugged. "I still feel like shit though, so don't expect me to pull any Iron Sand tricks out of my hat."

"What?!" I winced again; Celia was definitely loud when she wanted to be. "Then what the hell good are you?"

"I'm stronger in this form too, asshole." I tugged on my collar, "Did you not notice the outfit change?"

"You've got silver pants and a muted crimson shirt. Oh, and your jacket has a symbol from a video game. Sorry if I'm not impressed."

Ash reached over and thumbed the radio, "Relax, Celia. We're all on the same side." He leaned back and 'Forgot about Dre' started blaring through the speakers.

_Fuck you too bitch call the cops_

_I'ma kill you and them loud ass motherfucking barking dogs_

I glanced at the girl in the back and grinned. She glared back and Ash quickly leaned over to change the station.

_Ya hotshot, wanna get props and be a saviour_

_First show a little respect, change your behavior_

_Change your attitude, change your plan._

I thanked the universe for backing me up on this. That, and I loved 'Sound of da Police'. Classic rap. I could feel Celia trying to vaporize me with her eyes and shrugged it off, reaching over to my phone to connect it to the revamped car radio. I pressed play, and 'Chapo' came on.

_Keep that weed smoke everywhere we go_

_(Keep that weed smoke everywhere we go)_

_Keep that champagne and Bombay to po_

_(Keep that champagne and Bombay to po)_

_Pull up, you know it's fast cars we drive_

_(Pull up, you know it's fast cars we drive)_

_Say what they want, we just live our life_

_(Say what they want, we just live our life)_

I watched as Delsin started bobbing his head and mouthing the words. Funny, I never took him for the kind of guy who listened to rap. Ash, who obviously had never heard the song before, began tapping his feet and hands while humming along.

_Fast money, fast cars and fast hoes_

_I get it all and go_

_Bout to take out a couple grand and throw it on the flo'_

_As soon as I hit the stage the people screamin' mo_

"Do we have to listen to this garbage?" Celia interrupted the flow, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, alright." I pressed skip until I found a song that would annoy her just as much. "Whatever you want, princess." American Idiot started blaring from the radio. Ash grinned and Delsin threw a thumbs up as we all started singing along.

_Don't wanna be an American idiot._

_Don't want a nation under the new mania_

_And can you hear the sound of hysteria?_

_The subliminal mind fuck of America_

I started drumming on the steering wheel, and let out a whoop. This song, even though it hated on my country, made me feel like laughing.

_Welcome to a new kind of tension._

_All across the alienation._

_Where everything isn't meant to be okay._

_Television dreams of tomorrow._

_We're not the ones who're meant to follow._

_For that's enough to argue._

Ash started drumming and Delsin took it away with the vocals as I swerved around a hipster riding a Vespa. He shook his fist and yelled something about me being mainstream while pushing up his blocky glasses and sipping from his starbucks.

_Well maybe I'm the faggot America._

_I'm not a part of a redneck agenda._

_Now everybody do the propaganda._

_And sing along to the age of paranoia._

I glanced in the mirror and saw Celia unconsciously tapping her foot. I flashed her a grin and she frowned before stopping her foot.

_Welcome to a new kind of tension._

_All across the alienation._

_Where everything isn't meant to be okay._

_Television dreams of tomorrow._

_We're not the ones who're meant to follow._

_For that's enough to argue._

I pressed harder on the gas and shifted up a gear, almost grinding it and stalling out. Thankfully, I didn't, but I did run a red light. Thank god there were no cops. Celia caved in and sang the next few verses with the rest of us.

_Don't want to be an American idiot._

_One nation controlled by the media._

_Information age of hysteria._

_It's calling out to idiot America._

_Welcome to a new kind of tension._

_All across the alienation._

_Where everything isn't meant to be okay._

_Television dreams of tomorrow._

_We're not the ones who're meant to follow._

_For that's enough to argue._

We finished off all singing the chorus together. Celia's voice was high and clear which somehow managed to drown out our vocal flaws as the song came to an end. Delsin whooped and clapped Celia on the back as Ash shook his head in wonder and I laughed.

"Good to know you're a human being, Penderghast."

She smirked at me. "I was worried you'd mess it up. Taking over was the only way to prevent you from screwing one of the most iconic songs of our generation."

I turned back to look at her quickly. "C'mon, even I can't mess up American Idiot!"

Celia snorted. "Come back here when you can spit Rap God and then I _might_ consider your statement valid."

"Oh, like you can," I foolishly challenged.

"Shots are _fired!" _Ash added.

An evil grin split Celia's face and she opened her mouth. "Uh, summa lumma dooma lumma…"

Complete silence fell in the car as the DUP trained single-woman-army delivered a tongue lashing so quick and masterful that for all I knew, _she_ was the one who wrote the infamous 'fast part' to the song and Slim ripped _her _off.

"Ooh-kaay," Ash began. "I'm not sure exactly what just happened, but… _holy shit, Celia_."

She just smiled sweetly.

"You're white," I complained. "You're not supposed to have that much flow."

"I'm part Asian."

"That actually makes it worse." I followed with a frown. "Asians have negative flow."

She looked up with a half amused grin. "So there's a mathematical equation to determine how much flow I have?"

"It's directly proportional to how black you are," I confirmed. "Asians are on the opposite side of the scale, so according to my calculations you should have negative flow."

"Never heard of Baby Metal?"

"That's like asking if I've heard of CyanYoshi."

"Who?"

"Exactly." I shifted into sixth gear as we sped down a highway. "Yo, Ash, how fast are we goin'? I can't read KPH."

Ash glanced at the speedometer. "200 KPH, so around 120 MPH."

"Okay, I'm impressed. You actually remember those calculations?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Don't know why you Americans can't use the bloody metric system though."

I swerved around a redneck on a quad bike and sped off before he could honk or pull out his shotgun. "Because Murika." I saw a dirt road rapidly approaching and turned onto it, following the phone. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"One of Kessler's many research facilities around the world," Celia replied.  
>"And you found this… how?"<p>

"..." She suddenly found her nails very interesting. I would have asked more but there was a sharp turn and suddenly a barnhouse coming up very quickly. I rolled down my window and motioned for Ash to do the same. "We're gonna Vin Diesel this shit!" I yelled as we leaned out the side.

"What?" He yelled back, obviously never having seen any of the fast and furious movies. I raised my left hand and charged a rocket. He grinned back and did the same, paper swirling up to his elbow. We fired just before we hit the barn doors, blowing the building open wide. I yanked the handbrake and bailed out the window, doing a tuck and roll. I sprung up and prepared to shoot… Nothing. There was no one in this damn barn. I heard swerving and screeching from behind, and I winced. _Probably should have thought that bailout a little more. _

"Do you think they're alright?" the brit asked from next to me. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Pissed but fine, I'm sure. You were supposed to stay in the car, though."

"I… was?" He facepalmed, "Why didn't you tell me?"  
>"I thought it would be obvious! You're supposed to slide into the front seat like a boss and keep driving into the-... Y'know what? Nevermind." I looked around the barn and grumbled. "Why can't these stupid bases ever be aboveground?"<p>

Ash began looking around the barn. "Because that would be too easy?"

I flicked my wrist and lifted up a metal cover that was hidden under the dirt. "Yep."

A paper knife flew in my direction and bounced off my jacket, making sparks fly. "Huh. So my clothes are made of metal-"

Celia punched me in the face, hard. I skidded across the dirt floor and managed to raise my hand in time to catch a kick that was aimed directly at my face.

"Really?" she snarled between her teeth. "You're lucky I need you."

"Yes I am." I pointed at the open hatch, "Shall we?"

"Fine." She walked over to my car, popped the trunk and pulled out her naginata. She tossed Ash his quiver and bow while Delsin pulled out the hilt of a lightsaber. I raised an eyebrow and he just grinned back, twirling it between his fingers. "So, who's going down the hatch first?"

I jumped down without a word because I knew it'd piss off Celia. That, and I wanted to be the first to punch the scotsman for being an idiot and going off alone.

Don't judge me. I got out of bed for this, after all.

There was nothing and no one underground, just what looked like a hospital. Four doors lined up in neat rows across one wall. With a snap, they all unlocked from the inside.

"Hey, Origami!" I yelled up. "Place is clear, wanna come down and check these doors?"

Celia flitted down. "Really? There's four fucking doors and you couldn't bother to look inside?"

"You're the one who insisted on dragging me out of a hospital to come here. Now I gotta go back and get yelled at by Andi and also probably get cuffed to the bed."

"You can absorb the metal."

"She'll use her ink, but point taken." I strolled to the last room in the building and found Edward strapped to a surgical table with a gag around his mouth. He was awake and seriously pissed, straining at the thick metal restraints. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and I absorbed the cuffs. He fell to his feet and tore the gag off, gasping for breath.

"Fuck! How the hell did you know where to find me?"

I grinned as I hoisted him to his feet, looping his arm over my shoulder. "I followed the rainbow trail you left behind, you gay bastard."

He shot me a look. "If I wasn't in so much pain right now, I'd murder you."  
>"You've tried before and failed on multiple occasions, Scotty boy." I gave him a friendly punch in the ribs before hauling him out of the room with a grin. "Oi! I found our Scott!"<p>

Celia rushed over and punched him in the stomach before hugging him tightly, Ed's face turning blue. After a good minute, she let go of him and gave me a glare.

"Speak of this at your own peril."

I shrugged. Death threats have sort of lost their potency after being chased by the DUP and Abstergo for so many years. When death is staring you in the face on the daily, you get used to his ugly mug. "So, anyone else think this was way too easy? Because it really was."

As if on cue, shots rang out from above us and I heard Delsin swear before the familiar sound of his smoke blasts filled the barn.

Celia flitted up the ladder, leaving me and Ed down below. I quickly hoisted him over my shoulder with a grunt. "You could lose some weight, scotty!"

I could envision his annoying grin as I leapt up the shaft. "You're just pissed because I'm more buff than you."

"I'm pissed cause I gotta carry your fat ass through a firefight!" As soon as cleared the hatch I lobbed the Scott at the Brit who was only partially looking. "HeretakehimIdon'twanthimandhethinksyou'rehotanywayssoyeah." I turned around and dashed outside to find Delsin and Celia blowing up helicopters. Without me.

"Thanks for waiting for me!" I launched myself at a chopper and landed on the door.

Delsin landed on the other side and we ripped the doors off in sync. I tossed a grenade in and Delsin pulled the soldiers out, leaving the chopper to explode in the sky.

"If this is their idea of a trap they need to step they game up," I said with a grin, dodging under metal whips and around bullets. I caught a whip with each hand and wrenched control of the metal from its users, using the threads to skewer the soldiers. It was harder than it should have been and the metal refused to be absorbed by me, so I dropped it after I was done and fell back to where Delsin had a concrete shield up.

"Hey D, I think these guys are screwing with my powers."

He fired off a swath of concrete rockets, "It would make sense. They're based on your dad, right?"

"Sore subject, but yeah." I let loose a rocket, and saw four soldiers jump forward to catch it. It hit their outstretched palms, grew to twice it's original size, and then shot right at us. I put my hands out and caught the rocket. It pushed me all the way back to the barn, but I held onto the surging energy and managed to push it back at the GOLIATH forces. It ripped a huge furrow in the ground and shrapnel shredded most of the troops… which is when I noticed a figure with shrapnel sticking out of its arm.

It used to be invisible, but waves of electricity were rippling over it's silvery suit. It held a sword that glowed faintly blue, and even though it's face was hidden I could feel it looking at me.

Blessed. The phantom leveled it's sword at me and charged. I formed my own, not having Anēkdotos handy, and we clashed. Sparks flew and I barely managed to kick the inhuman away before turning to yell at Delsin. "Blessed!"

"What?"

"Invisible super-ninjas with RFI swords, remember?!" I swung my improv blade at the Blessed and he stopped it with a shield made out of… Glass? _Oh, that's why they kidnapped Ed. Damn scotsman!_

Delsin jumped backwards as an invisible sword tore through his jacket. "You're serious?"

"No, I'm only pretend fighting and you're only pretend hurt. Get it together!" I brought my broadsword down in an overhand strike, shattering the glass and lopping off the Blessed's arm. I reached forward and ripped off his mask to see… _Casper _staring back at me. The wire Conduit's face was gaunt and his eyes were completely hollow. I stumbled back in surprise and bumped into Delsin who yelped and nearly blew me away. "Vince, watch out!"

I managed to duck under the scattershot of smoke and spun to face Casper. "D, it's wire guy. Somehow he's not dead."

"What?" He turned to face the Blessed I'd been fighting, "Dude, the hell are you talking about? That's not wire guy."

I turned back to counter the sword being shoved at my throat and found he was right. It wasn't Casper, not at all.

The man (if you could call it that) was even paler than Alice with a shaved head and grey eyes that were hazed over as if they saw nothing. Several surgical scars crossed his forehead and his mouth had been sewn shut. There was a node attached to his throat, with a wire that ran to a little circular speaker. That was how he spoke. There was no hesitation in his eyes as he pulled a small clicker from his belt and pressed a button.

The scar that ran the length of his face, from hairline to jawbone, began glowing a whitish-blue. The energy pulsed over him and his skin crackled, turning the color of ash before he crumbled into nothingness and was swept away with the wind.

I watched someone commit suicide because I'd torn off their mask. The thought made the headache come back with a vengeance. It felt like someone was hammering a railroad spike into the back of my head and my vision started swimming like I was tripping on acid.

_Oh, great. I'm hallucinating in the middle of a battlefield and my heart is gonna fly out my mouth while I barf up my insides._ I tried moving and felt like I was swimming in molasses. I noticed that _lovely_ affect didn't apply to _anyone_ else and so I was reduced to watching the Blessed cut through my newly metal shirt. _I can't even afford a therapist anymore, most of the drug money is gone. _A fist connected with my face for an agonizing eternity before separating and sending me back towards the barn. While I was in the air, I began having the strangest flashback of my dad yelling at me.

My dad: A slightly taller, darker, more wrinkled, and insanely more powerful version of me. On a side note; he's always got a buzz cut (number 2 on the electric razor, if I remember), and if the TV was any indication, he's starting to gray. But back to the flashback.

_These grades are horrible!_

_Fuck you! That's five A's and one B, old man! I swear, you're worse than Sung-Il's parents, and he's Korean!_

For talking back, he backhanded me across the face so hard my lip split.

What a bastard, huh?

Anyways I could hardly breathe because I was now staring my 'dad' down, instead of Casper. He walked up to me, seized my collar and slapped me across the face again. Insult to injury, I guess.  
>"Snap out of it, Magneto!" His face wobbled and blurred together with Celia's as heshe yelled at me in dually-layered tones. "I'm pretty sure your _girlfriend_ wants you alive, so get it together and finish these guys off!"

"Yes sir." The old, automatic response rolled off my tongue and another flashback started. Twelve year old me was being brought down to the training room for the first time.

_You say yes sir, no sir. Understand me?_

_Why- _The crack of bone as my dad's fist met with my ribcage. Apparently he wasn't joking about the 'yes sir no sir' thing.

_Your mother made you soft,_ he said in a near whisper. Irony, anyone? _Starting today, that ends. You are no longer human, but something greater, something beyond. You are a Conduit, Vincent, and you will bring humanity to its knees._

And then came the memories of my training. Grueling, ten hour sessions where my screwed-up dad punched, kicked and blasted away whatever dignity (and blood) I thought I had left. And then back to school on Monday, where I tried to avoid being noticed as a Conduit.

In retrospect, I'm lucky it took that long for me to _have_ a psychotic episode. My dad's constant demand for perfection (and my failure to meet his standards) was probably one of the reasons why I had self-esteem issues and determined myself to be a lazy fuckup… Andi changed that in me, but sometimes I still doubt myself. .

The barn was on fire now. Hell, I was surprised the thing was still standing as I snapped out of my psychotic break and unleashed three scrap tornadoes in quick succession. My senses were still muted and there was a ringing in the back of my head which wasn't helped at all by the copious amounts of smoke and ash I was probably breathing in.

Remember how I said I was cursed to pass out after every epic battle? Guess what happened next.

* * *

><p>The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the smell of scented candles. You know, the white ones that smell like cupcakes so you come home and expect some sweet baked goodness and then immediately have your hopes crushed.<p>

I opened my eyes and blinked several times to the soft glow of candles scattered around the room, which was furnished lavishly. It also looked like it was straight out of _One thousand and One Arabian nights_. I tried evacuating what looked suspiciously like a therapy chair only to find that I was chained to it.

With tar.

Oh boy.

The door opened and closed, and Kristil came to sit in a high-backed leather chair which left me wondering how the hell she could afford all this. "So I hear you've got daddy issues."

I snorted and inhaled more eau de not-actual-cake. "You're the one with issues. You kidnap me and chain me to a bed in a room full of candles? I'm not sure if this is romantic or you're planning on sacrificing my soul to Cthulhu."

She facepalmed. "Vincent, please. Cthulhu requires a roaring bonfire, not petty scented candles."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Cthulhu aside, I notice you didn't deny the romantic implications..."

She waved away my comment like smoke leftover from one of Delsin's attacks. "Moving on, you apparently had a mental breakdown in the middle of battle today. Care to elaborate?"

I pretended not to hear that and chose instead to watch the shadows dancing on the walls. How the hell was I supposed to elaborate when I had no idea where to start? _Let's see… I was born._

Kristil sighed and removed her palm from her face, brushing her raven hair back. "Listen, Vince. You're not here to talk about your feelings. I need to know what memories were triggered so I can set up a psychic block."

I conceded with an, "Oh. That's cool then." _Hey, at least I don't have to talk about my fucked-up life to someone who's a highly-functioning sociopath_.

Kristil sat behind me and placed both hands on my forehead. "We took off the band." she said with a slight grin. "I'll have you know I am _not_ a sociopath. I simply exhibit sociopathic tendencies. And the answer is no, David and I have not done anything unsightly on this chair. It's new and we haven't broken it in yet, unlike the rest of the room."

"Excuse me while I barf," I muttered to myself.

She laughed and I felt something sticky pulse across my forehead. Tar. "Now think about… well, whatever it was that you were thinking about when you saw your father."

I raised the memories that I'd spent most of my teenage years suppressing. It was not enjoyable, but one by one I felt them slip away. I could still remember them, obviously, but they were distanced from me, like they belonged to someone else or I'd seen them on television. On that note, my life would make a really kickass tv show if it were produced by HBO. After all, they did a hella good job with Game of Thrones, so how hard could adapting my life possibly be?

"Done." Kristil lifted her hands and I noticed a distinct lack of gross, sticky tar on my forehead.  
>"You absorbed it and it's what constitutes your mental barriers. Try not to break them, as you'll either cough up the tar via your lungs or cry it out."<p>

I instantly regretted everything and scrambled backwards off the chair, falling on the richly carpeted floor with a thump. The restraints were gone, and I guessed Kristil had re-absorbed them at some point. "That's so many kinds of fucked, Kris."

"It is a small price to pay." She quickly pointed at the door. "Now, get out. There's a council meeting fifteen minutes from now and you need to look presentable."

"Ugh, nooooo." I scooted under the chair, trying desperately to melt into the shadows. Unfortunately, I'm not Raven. "I hate bureaucracy!"

Kristil looped some tar around my ankles and tried dragging me out. I clung to the chair like Ed on Ash. "Then why on earth did you accept a seat on the council?"  
>"To annoy you!" I clung to the chair like it was life itself, and Kristil tugged harder. The tar was inching its way up my waistline and I anchored the chair to the floor with metal.<p>

"Vincent Lucian Tate!" Kristil yelled at the top of her lungs, eyes blazing, "You will let go of that chair and go to the meeting!" she punctuated that statement with a particularly hard yank.

I glared at her and drove a metal spike through the rug and into the floor. "Make me, _Asma_!"

Andi and David chose that precise moment to burst into the room with a loud 'bang' as the door slammed into the wall. Everyone froze, and I watched Andi's palm slowly creep up to cover her face in embarrassment. David just started outright laughing.

Kristil had me wrapped in several tentacles of viscous, gooey liquid, one of which encircled my ass in a slightly suggestive manner. Without any context, this probably looked like the beginning of a bad hentai: thus Andi's facepalm and David's uncontrollable laughter.

David recovered enough from his laughter to gasp out a sentence. "Jeez, Kris. I didn't know you were into that."

Her face turned bright red and she dropped me onto the floor, bringing her hands up to knead her temples. Her next words brought a smile to my face and made David laugh even harder.

"I swear, Vincent. You will be the death of me."

* * *

><p>Well, that's another chapter busted out. Refer any questions about what happened in the previous chapter to the AN above. This first installment of the trilogy is winding down… I want to say that there's roughly nine more chapters to go. Keep reading and please drop a review. It gives me inspiration to keep writing.

Stay awesome.

~Kole (Zeta)


	22. Chapter 22: Hard Lemonade

In which Vince spikes Fetch's lemonade in an effort to make it taste better. Hey guys. I'm writing this on St. Patrick's Day, hence the obligatory whiskey. Heh. Whiskey. Is it good? I've never had any, it's not really my thing. Enjoy the story, and shoutout to the one Irish guy who looked at this story. Bless ye. lad. Bless ye.  
>Also, there's a lot of homo-erotic tension in this chapter... just a heads up in case that sort of thin triggers you. This chapter for sure leans toward M.<p>

* * *

><p>So after sitting through a boring meeting where nothing was accomplished besides me scratching Achilles' itches, I was beyond tired and just wanted to sleep.<p>

I zonked out during the car ride home. Delsin told me later (with no small amount of laughter) that Andi carried me up the stairs, bridal style. That explained why I woke up next to her in the morning, beneath the really fluffy covers.

It's rare for me to see Andi sleeping, because she always gets up just as I do or even earlier. I couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked with her soft, cream-colored skin that was offset by her black and purple hair… I reached over to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. _I've gotta be the luckiest guy alive. Not everyone gets their own sleeping beauty. _

Andi grumbled at my attentions and her arms tightened into a death grip, nearly caving in my chest. "No… Princess Rainbow Sparkles… save the Candy Kingdom."

_Oh my god, that's adorable and excellent blackmail material. If only I had my phone…_ That was probably in the car. I groaned as the perfect prank material passed through my fingers and Andi woke up, stifling a yawn by burying her face in my shoulder.  
>"Wha, Luc?" she mumbled into the soft fabric. Apparently I'd gotten changed… or maybe the metal was just mimicking my pj's.<p>

Yes, my pet name is Luc for Lucian. Shut the hell up. It's not like I picked my own name.

I felt my heart start doing flips when she fixed me with her violet eyes and smiled. God, it felt like it was gonna burst out my chest or dissolve into sunrays or something cheesy like that. I could go on with the cheesy love metaphors but you get the idea and writing all that is starting to make me feel slightly queasy.

I gave her a soft peck on the lips. "Well, you don't have to get up, but I'm gonna go make breakfast." The clock on the bedstand read 1:00 and I rephrased my statement. "Make that lunch."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled as I got out of bed and headed to the shower. I noticed with amusement that my clothes were reabsorbed into my skin with the exception of my socks and boxers. _Cool._

* * *

><p>After my shower, and picking my phone up from the garage, I entered the kitchen just in time to be accosted by Fetch and jugs of her god-awful lemonade. These jugs are big ones, too, like three gallons each. Before I could escape she'd shoved a tall frosty glass of it in my face, beaming like she wasn't trying to poison me.<br>"Yo Magneto, try this and tell me what you think."

I put on my best grin. "Eh, sure." _Oh god why? Her lemonade tastes like molten lithium. _ Quickly I jabbed my finger into the glass and began swirling it, dispersing powdered arsenic to dissolve in water.

Before you call me suicidal, It's a metalloid and I can absorb it without dying. Second, it's actually pretty sweet, and sweet was one thing Fetch's cursed lemonade needed. I quickly gulped it down anyways.

My would-be executioner stood there, wooden spoon in hand and a grin on her face. "Well?"

"Amazing," I lied with practiced ease. There was still some of the deadly concoction in the bottom of my glass and I swirled it around.

"Well don't be selfish." With that Fetch snatched the glass out of my hands and tilted it back to drink the last of it. I've never seen another conduit ingest arsenic, but I couldn't imagine that it would end well. Plus, Fetch was pregnant so god forbid that glass even touch her lips.

"No!" I smacked the glass out of her hand as hard as I could and sent it flying out the open window, wincing when I heard it shatter on the pavement below.

Fetch gave me a weird look. "What was that about, kid?"

_Your lemonade is so deadly I literally sweetened it with arsenic. _"Uh, nothing." I gave her a sheepish grin and she just rolled her eyes.

"Right. Well, I gotta go do stuff… so watch these for me," she gestured to the jugs of venom before disappearing in a burst of light.

"Great." I waited until I was sure she was gone and then immediately started rifling through the cupboards to find something, _anything_ to improve the taste of the lemonade. I grabbed a ten pound bag of sugar and set that down before finding a bottle of 'Midleton Barry Crockett'.

_Oh, what the hell._ I set the bottle of what I assumed was whiskey and kept going through the endless shelves of food. I really had to ask Delsin who went shopping because there was always food here, for some reason.

I found strawberries and mint in the fridge and decided that my epic quest to fix Fetch's botched lemonade was ready to begin. To start, I dumped out what she made, straight down the sink. _There was no saving that stuff_, I thought with a wry grin. I washed off the mint and began dicing it with a knife of my own making while juicing more lemons. _How does she screw up lemonade? It's so simple…_

After finishing with the mint, I poured enough lemon juice back in the jugs to fill them up about halfway. The strawberries were next to be washed and juiced and after multiple packages I put it in a blender with the mint. That was next to go in, along with a liberal amount of sugar to make the whole thing taste sweet. Yes, _sweet_. The way lemonade is supposed to taste.

I hate it when white people make kool-aid (or any drink really) and they only put like three spoonfuls of sugar in. Nigga the fuck? Do you want your drink to taste like watery ass?

Er… anyways, both jugs were about three-fourths full. I decided now was an excellent time to call up Ed.

Everyone's contact number was mysteriously on the phone that I'd never purchased. Alice probably had something to do with that.

He picked up on the third ring. "Who's this now?"

I grinned a little bit. "Oi, you cheeky chap. Come and hang at the mansion with the Smokes Brigade."

I heard him snort laughter on the other end. "Please tell me that's not what you call yourselves."

"It's not," I admitted, while administering generous helpings of whiskey to each jug. "But you three should still come over and chill."

"You're serious?" He snorted again, this time in disbelief. "We've tried to kill each other on multiple occasions and now you wanna get all buddy buddy?"

I thrust a wooden spoon into one of the glass containers and started stirring, mixing the whiskey into the lemonade to complete my masterpiece. "And what else, pray tell, are you doing on a Saturday? Besides, we can bury the hatchet or something stupid. I'm already cool with Jace, you just need to chill out and cuddle up."

"You had me tortured." It wasn't an accusation, just a simple statement of fact. I did have David beat up on him… but it was kinda needed.

"You would have done the same," I shot back. His silence confirmed my thoughts and I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

Finally he sighed, a sigh of resignation. "Vince, I'm honestly a little busy at the mo…"

I finished stirring and covered the top of the jugs with plastic wrap before putting them in the freezer. "Live a little, scottie!" Another grin tugged at the corners of my mouth as I spoke in a sing-song tone. "Besides, I can promise that a certain someone will be there~"

That was all it took to destroy his resolve. "Fine. Be there in an hour, alright?"

"Love you Eddie," I sang into the phone. He grumbled incoherently and hung up on me. The nerve of some people, really.

I know this sounds boring, but the whole 'mundane' aspect was really appealing, especially after the last couple of days. Here I was in a kitchen, making lemonade. Not getting shot at or beat up or fighting or trying to rescue lost comrades. Just a normal teenager calling some of his friends over for drinks and possibly food. How could that possibly be anything but normal?

I turned around and nearly bumped into Kuo, the ice conduit. We hadn't really spoken at all because I was off 'saving the world' and she was… I have no idea what the hell she did in her free time.

"Sorry." She pulled out a stool and sat down at the island/stove in the middle of the kitchen. "I guess it's nice to officially meet you."

I nodded in her direction. "Same." I knew I shouldn't ask… but I couldn't help myself. "What was it like?" I asked as I sat next to her.

She swiveled to look me dead in the eyes, and I shivered a little. The ambient temperature in the room decreased by several degrees. "I assume you're referring to New Marais. Well it wasn't as glorious as it sounded. There was a lot of killing, a lot of death… we lost a lot of people and at the end I made the mistake (her face contorted and she spat the next few words like venom) of switching sides. I died, and I deserved what happened next."

"What happened next?" My own memories of death were starting to trickle back into my head. It was strange to think that I'd died and been brought back to life by… well, whoever the fuck that was.

Kuo's face shifted from a look of bitter resentment to a ghost of a smile. "You wouldn't believe me."  
>I grabbed a box of poptarts and tore open a silver package. "Grungy lookin' dude with torn up blue jeans and messy blonde hair?" I took a first, delicious bite and continued talking while trying to avoid spraying crumbs. "Bears a strange resemblance to a certain dead singer?"<p>

Her frosty blue eyes widened by a fraction. "You've seen him."  
>I stopped eating the Diabetes Squares™ "Yeah, what's up with that? Is he supposed to be god or something?"<p>

"Your guess is as good as mine. You have to admit that there's something off about him."

I raised an eyebrow. "What, like the fact I met him after I died or that he offered me a cheesy-ass brochure to paradise?"

Kuo's hand tightened on the counter until her knuckles turned whiter, and frost began to spread over the granite. "Paradise?"

"Yeah, a real brochure with shitty stock photos and everything…" It then occurred to me that Kuo, having betrayed all mankind, might not have been _offered_ paradise. _Well shit._

Kuo took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. The frost retreated and the temperature warmed back up. "Sorry. I just… It's not important. Alice brought me back and a second chance is better than none."

"Right." I quickly reached over and grabbed the near-empty bottle of whiskey, sliding it to her.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's only one in the afternoon."

I simply shrugged. "You look like you could use it."

The ice-conduit nodded and gave me another slight smile before getting up and leaving the room, trailing frost in her wake. I watched her go before wolfing down another poptart and getting some blackberries out of the fridge. It's important to have a balanced diet, kids.

My not-so balanced breakfast was interrupted by a familiar voice. _Vincent? What's this I hear about you planning a party?_

_Jeez Kris, I literally just called Ed. Couldn't you wait like ten minutes and pretend you heard about it normally?_

_I did hear about it normally. I was helping them move out when you called. I assume you were planning to invite us? After all, I have been feeling stressed lately and this could be the perfect chance for David and I to unwind._

I checked my wrist just to make sure the protective band was still there. It was, and suddenly the idea of seeing Kristil getting loaded on my lemonade was too good to pass up.

_Alright, but only if you bring me fifteen pounds of organic, free-range, artisan ground beef, ten organic white onions, Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce, some top-shelf hamburger buns and of course, organic, free range thick-cut applewood smoked pork bacon. Oh, and like thirty organic avocados with stone ground tortilla chips. I'll also need forty-two organic tomatoes and ten organic red onions. Lastly, lots of organic cheddar cheese and around forty pounds of organic potatoes from Ireland. Get here as early as we can so we can start cooking. _

_Are you planning to feed an army or concocting a witches brew? _she asked, obviously amused.

I grinned. _No eye of newt, please. Besides, I've seen how much Andi eats, and now you're bringing some Converted? Plus Fetch is pregnant, which means she'll probably eat five pounds worth of my beef. _

_Alright, I'll bring the food. What are you planning to make?_

_You'll see. _I severed the mental link by thinking about slamming a phone into the receiver cradle. Awesome. A bunch of conduits and semi-conduits were coming over and now I had to cook. It was time to enlist some help.

I was going to enlist Delsin, but his old chain was hanging on his doorknob, so best leave well enough alone. The last thing I needed was more mental scarring.

Andi was still sleeping, so I pulled the shades closed and planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving.

I found Kuo and Zeke with the empty bottle and made an excuse to leave. That left Ash to help me prepare a feast and I didn't think he had any heat powers. I still found myself outside his door anyways, knocking as hard as I could without smashing it down.  
>"Yo, britbong! Help a brother out."<p>

The sound of shuffling came from inside the room and eventually Ash poked his head out. His eyes were still red and bleary from sleep and he just stared at me for a few seconds. "Help with what?" he said, finally.

"I need to cook a feast and you need to help me because everyone else is busy."

"Really?" he rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn, "your girlfriend?"

"Sleeping." She needed the extra rest too… I'm not sure how many hours she needed to catch up on but she'd been sleeping like a log ever since the nightmares stopped.

He shut his door and I was treated to the sound of opening and closing drawers. "Kuo?"

I shrugged. "Hashing some things out with Zeke. Plus I'm not sure how helpful Ice would be."

"Delsin and Fetch?"

I laughed. "Nope. They're either picking out baby names or screwing each other's brains out."

A chuckle drifted through the door. "Gross, man!" It swung open and Ash was dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "I did not need that mental imagery."

I waggled my eyebrows at him. "Well now you have it. C'mon, Kristil should be here any-" the doorbell rang to prove my point and we both trudged downstairs.

I tossed open the door to find Kristil, Nexi, Ethan, Ivy, Jim, Alfie, Opal, Iris, David, Raven, Achilles and Sheba.

I raised an eyebrow. "You brought the cats?"

"Was I meant to leave them?"

I sighed. "No, but now you'll have to go get another order of everything."

"I already did, Vincent. I know my pets."

"Last I checked, Achilles is mine." David pouted.

_I am no one's __**pet.**_ _It is merely a mutualistic relationship. _Achilles corrected.

_I know, buddy._ I reached out to ruffle his fur. _Maybe you should try telling them that, stupid— _

"Achilles!" Kristil interrupted, "Go play outside with Jim." The very same Jim blew a tiny ball of fire in the air to get the liger's attention.

I chuckled as the cat tried to slink away. It didn't work because he was nearly the size of a small car, and small cars can't exactly slink anywhere. "So, who's gonna help me cook?"

"I can't cook." Alfie spoke up. I was still a little creeped out by how much like me he looked… if he's some long lost brother, I'll kill someone. Probably my dad. I'm planning to do it anyways though, so it's not like I need another reason. "I'll join Jim."

"Yeah, me too." Opal added, giving me a wave before turning and walking away with her sister, Iris. Raven smiled at her as she walked away she returned it. There goes my second girlfriend. Not that we were ever really a thing… I think Andi shipped us harder than I did.

"Well, don't just stand out there," I said, making room for them to pass through. "come on in and enjoy the mansion that some random guy paid for."

"I was gonna say that." Ash grumbled.

I rolled my eyes and elbowed him, hard.

"I feel so underdressed." He mumbled in reply so that only I could hear.

"Don't sweat it. I'm dressed like a lumberjack today for some reason." I'd foregone my metal clothes for a blue flannel shirt and faded jeans. I guess the shirt should really be red, but whatever. Still, looking around at everyone's formal suits and dresses, I could get why he felt like that. "Why the hell are you all so dressed up? I invited you over for drinks and burgers, not wine and filet mignon."

"We represent the Converted, Vincent," Kristil turned her chin up in superiority, "Can't expect you to understand."

"In other words, she wanted to show off how rich she is." David chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, much to her reluctance.

I bowed and adopted a posh british accent that dripped sarcasm. "I'll make sure to inform _your majesty_ that it's casual next time." I reached for all the bags of food and picked them up, "Allow me to escort you to the kitchen." Spinning on my heel, I started marching away in an exaggerated fashion, up the stairs.

"You're rich?" I heard Ash behind me.

"The makeup on my face is 90% powdered platinum. Yes I'm rich." She snorted in reply.

"Yeah," Ash sounded skeptic, "and I bet your weapons are made of gemstones."

I snuck a glance over my shoulder to see Kristil pull out her onyx-and-ruby dagger and Ash struggled to not let his mouth drop open. _Wait a minute… 90% platinum? That's 90% metal and 100% prank-able. This is gonna be a fun evening._ I reached the third floor and headed for the kitchen. There was a gigantic balcony directly across, which had a beautiful view of the bay. I then swung around and headed into the kitchen, dumping all the foodstuffs on the counter. I created a huge bowl and dumped all the meat in while starting to dice the onions. Nexi blurred into the kitchen at (probably) the speed of sound, wearing a sleeveless black dress. How she could move so quickly in high heels I had no idea.

"Need some help?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," I admitted while tossing her the knife. "Mind dicing all the onions for me? I've gotta get started on the meat."

She flashed me a grin and started going through the onions at a record speed while I grabbed the bottles of worcestershire sauce and started pouring it into the bowl. My good ol' secret burger recipe: sauce, onions, seasoning salt and just a bit of pepper. When the onions inside the burgers cook, the juice leaks out which not only keeps the burger juicy but enhances the flavor. But I had to get to work preparing the meat first. So I rolled up my sleeves (quite literally) and dug my hands into the thirty-some pounds of ground beef. I began to pour worcestershire in liberally and ended up using the whole bottle, because thirty pounds of ground beef could handle it and the flavor wouldn't be ruined. I dumped in some seasoning salt and ground black pepper to go with it and resorted to using my powers to properly knead the beef.

"Here you go, boss!" in the space of thirty seconds, Nexi had managed to wash and dice all twenty white onions. She scraped them into bowl in one second and then went to work on the red ones.

A shadow took form and Raven solidified into three dimensions. He was the only one from the converted group dressed kinda normally in his hoodie. Oddly enough, he was wearing blue dress slacks which didn't match at all.

"Need help?"

"Dude, that is still as creepy as the first time you did it." I pointed my head towards the bags of food, "and you can help by cooking the bacon."

He nodded and quickly scooped the bags containing savory meat and spread them out over the fry-cook style grill. He forewent actually turning it on and instead blasted the food with streams of light to heat it up.

"You are RUINING it!" Kristil practically screeched.

For once, I was inclined to agree with her. "Rave, use the stove."

"I'll do what I want," He scowled at both of us, mostly at Kristil. I guess he didn't know the insane telepath that well because he didn't see the blast of tar before it smashed him in the face and sent the shadow conduit crashing through the nearest window. Under normal circumstances I would have yelled at her, but Ed was coming over anyways and what good is a glass conduit if they can't fix a window.

Raven came back, albeit in shadow form, and sulked on the wall in 2D. "You suck," he mumbled.

I raised a sauce-covered hand. "I second that motion." I ducked under the blast of tar that was sent my way like a real pro. "Knock it off, your highness, or I'll rearrange the makeup on your face."

"Try it and see where it gets you." She retorted, taking over Raven's job and preparing the meat without so much as a glance in our direction. Ash went over to her side and began to grind some spices. I could make out the two of them talking to each other but they were too quiet for me to understand. Carefully, doing it slowly so she wouldn't notice, I rearranged the powdered platinum on her face until it looked like someone had slapped her in the face with their boner and left an imprint in the makeup.

What? I'm a teenager, I'm allowed to 'dick' around. *ba-dum tss*

Raven's shadow had eventually migrated over to stand next to me. "So… about Opal."

"Chill." satisfied that all the ingredients in the meat were properly mixed, I started forming patties, then turned the job over to Nexi, who eagerly went to work. I nodded at Raven's shadow and we drifted out of the room and out to the balcony. Raven finally rematerialized after we were behind the sliding glass doors. At the very least they would cushion the blow from another blast of tar.

The shadow conduit flopped into one of the metal chairs. "So you're gonna let her cook? She might poison the bacon."

"Nah, she doesn't want to kill me that badly. You, on the other hand…" I shrugged and flicked a finger out towards the bay. "I'm pretty sure she wants you wearing cement flip flops."

Raven cocked an eyebrow at me. "If they were flip-flops couldn't I just take them off?"

"Not if they pierce through your feet." Raven sunk back into shadows, sulking more. I could almost see the pout on his face.

"So you're fine with me and Opal?"

"Yeah. I'm busy saving the world all the time, so I wouldn't be able to commit."

The shadow flared up. "Wait, are you saying I have nothing to do?"  
>"You don't," I confirmed with a chuckle.<p>

The shadow sank back down into the chair. "Yeah, you're right. It's kinda nice, actually, not having to play hero. I can just kick back and relax, for once. Maybe that's why Alice brought me back here…. sort of a permanent vacation."

I leaned closer to the shadow. "You never did tell me what happened after you went back."

"Well, that's just the thing. I went back, and there was… white. I didn't notice at first, but then this wave of white just started erasing everything, you know? Like, at first things started dissapearing. A car, a coffee, a coin I dropped. Then one day I woke up and nobody'd ever heard of Europe. There was a tide of white on the horizon and it got closer every day." The shadow fidgeted uncomfortably and I got the feeling that he was looking away from me. "And the scary thing was, people just acted like it wasn't there, y'know? Like they'd watch people get swallowed by it and then it'd be like those people never existed. I managed to get out to the other dimension, but the white followed me. I ran and ran, and I was about to die when a crack opened and I threw myself through. Alice was on the other side. She hooked me up with my scythe and for the past few years I've just been wandering this world, not really doing much of anything. GOLIATH and the DUP were never really a problem for me… I mean, you can't catch something if you can't touch it." He grinned like the Cheshire cat, the white of his teeth floating in his shadow. "So yeah. What you been up to?"

"Uh…" I looked away for a second and then looked back. "Well, I was still on the run. We stayed in Nevada for a few more months but then the DUP's caught up with us, so we cut away and booked it north, trying to make it to Canada. They headed us off at every turn until somehow I ended up in a showdown at the border with Augustine. I was winning until the bitch hit me in the back of the head with a boulder. Long story short I got sent to Curdun Cay-" I shuddered involuntarily and the shadow made a sympathetic gesture- "and then I broke out six months later, after Delsin beat Augustine. The rest of my time has been spent fighting nearly everyone I come across, even though I _never_ start it. I've lost at least a week and a half to unconsciousness but on the plus side my powers have been upgraded."

A ripple passed through the shadow and the smile disappeared. "Wow. That blows."

"Tell me about it." I flicked some metal at the shadow and it shifted away onto the ground. "Why do you stay in shadow form so much anyways?"

"Habit. Like I said, the dupes can't grab you if you're intangible." He solidified and gave another wry grin. "It didn't help too much with Kessler."

"I noticed. Not enough shadows in the compound?"

Raven winced. "No. He ripped me out of them."

I leaned forward, interested. "He did?"

_His power is beyond even mine, Vince._ Alice's voice echoed in my head, _Which I learned the hard way. Now let's leave that to the side for now. I heard there's going to be a party..._

_Wait, what? How did you… You know what? Fuck it, it doesn't matter. Come on over. You're obligated to bring something, though._

_There's going to be a dance floor, I hope._

_Perfect. Let's just assume that there's a dance floor somewhere in this bigass mansion._

_They'd better be, and booze, I'm a real party animal._

If I'd been drinking anything I would have spit it out. As it was, I burst into uncontrollable laughter and fell out my chair. Raven just raised an eyebrow but didn't question; He'd probably had Alice in his head on at least one different occasion.

_It wasn't that funny. Anyways, speaking of animals… is there going to be enough food? I have a friend coming from the Antarctica and she eats like a pig. See what I did there?_

_You're a little too cheery for someone who was recently crucified,_ I grumbled mentally, while picking myself up off the floor. _Can you even get hurt?_

_My question first. Food._

_Fine. We've got like thirty pounds worth of burgers anyways. _I heard her mentally sigh.

_Let's hope that'll be enough. And what time will everything start?_

I looked at my phone. _Uh, half an hour? You can show up now if you want to help with the cooking._

_Let me think about it... No. Bye._

_Wait, at least bring chips-_ the connection was severed sharply and I winced.

Raven put a hand on my shoulder. "You alright?"

"Fine, Rave. Let's go back in, I think Kristil will want to kill you less now." He nodded in agreement and we went back into the kitchen. Kristil and Nexi were chatting with Ash, who was blushing slightly. I flicked a ball bearing at his head to catch his attention. "Oi, loverboy. What's the food status?"

"Loverboy? Who do I love?" He frowned

I grinned and ignored his question, "I repeat, Food status?"

"All done." He motioned behind him, where Nexi had gotten so bored she was playing with the miniature tornado she had created by twirling her wooden spoon at super speed.

"Good. We'll start cooking the burgers when Ed and the DUP crew gets here." The mentioning of DUP made almost everyone there flinch (except Ash) before they quickly realised I was talking about Celia and Jace.

"Ed's the Scottish one, ennit?" Ash asked, his head tilted with interest. Pfft, he knows who he loves.

"Yeah mate," I drawled in my not-half-bad british accent. "The swole bloke who been tryna get in yer pants since day one."

He looked confused "Number one: I already told you, your cockney accent sucks. Number two," He hesitated for a couple of seconds, "I… urrm… He's gay?"

"Gayer than Elton John riding a unicorn," I answered with a smile. "And yeah, he's into you. Remember when he lost that arm wrestle?"

"Against the Clark Kent dude? Yeah. What has that got to do—"

"You dropped your phone and bent over," I mentioned with a chuckle.

"I bent— Oh my DAYS!" He facepalmed with both hands, turning red instantly.

I shrugged. "Hey, to be honest, it was pretty distracting. He rated your ass 10/10 in case you were wondering." He turned away from me to hide his face and Nexi was rolling around on the floor, supersonic-hysterical, even Kristil was trying her best not to smirk. "Personally, I think it's a 9 but there's no accounting for taste."

"Okaynicetoknowbye." He spoke at a speed that would make Nexi jealous and disappeared in a cloud of frost.

I whistled as he fled the room and turned to Kristil. "I get why you like messing with people. It's just _fun_!"

"You learn fast, my young padawan." She started laughing now that Ash had left and I bowed reverently.

"You are an excellent teacher, Master D'alia."

She yawned and stretched, "Vince, everything is done. What now?" I started giggling as the penis on her face contorted slightly every time she spoke. Luckily, she dismissed it as me laughing at Ash's little predicament.

"I dunno. COD? Spar? Foursome? These are all options."

"I hate fish and orgies aren't my style. Sparring would be fun, but none of you stand a chance.

"HAH!" I flipped the middle finger at Kristil, before realizing what she said. "You know COD stands for Call of Duty… right?"

"Call of Duty… don't tell me that's a video game." She rolled her eyes.

_Girls… wow. _"So… what should we do? I'm bored but I'm not going to ruin my day off by fighting things. And a bored Vince is a sad Vince." I tried my best Puss-in-Boots-look.

"God forbid the great Vincent Lucian Tate ever feel bored."

"How _do_ you know my second name?" I asked. She tapped the side of her nose in response. Oh, right. The whole telepathy thing she had going on. Stupid of me to even ask.

"Nexi, do you have an idea to sate our boredom?" Kristil turned to the femme flash who was trying to snap a piece of spaghetti in exactly two pieces. The floor was littered with bits of spaghetti, no matter how fast she broke them, they'd always break into three or more. Basic fragmentation theory... which I know for some reason.

"IknowIknowIknowIknowIknow!" She jumped up and down on the spot dropping her box of spaghetti. She took a deep breath and paused for effect, "GAME!GAME!GAME!GAME!GAME!GAME!GAME!GAME!"

"What game?" Kristil asked.

"— and it better not be spin the bottle!" I quickly interjected.

"Urghnowho'dwannakissyouorKristilanywayyou'rebothuglyIwantEdwardbuthe'sgayohwell… Iwasthinkingtruthordare!"

"Sorry, what?" Kristil rubbed her brow (lol, some of the penis stained her fingers a little)

"Goshareyoudeaforsomething? Truthordare!"

Kristil sighed. "Nexi, we can't understand you. Slow down!"

"GOSH-YOU'RE-ALL-FUCKING-SNAILS!" She dragged her sentence out as slow as she could… which was still faster than normal, "TRUTH-OR-DARE!"

"I actually caught that the first time," I mentioned. Nexi's talking was a lot like a valley girl's: it starts off slow but eventually it gets so fast the words blur together and you get fed up and slap the starbucks out of her hands and fight her roided out boyfriend.

"Very well. I suppose truth or dare is harmless enough."

Raven instantly melted into shadows. "Well, fuck that. I'm not gonna play a game of 'who do you like' or 'awkward sexual task'. Peace." He pulled into a corner and vanished, leaving me with the two Converted. A grin split my face once again.

"Betcha Opal can make him play."

* * *

><p>So after a few minutes (and chasing a giant liger around the grounds) we finally rounded everyone up in a group. We had Kristil, Nexi, Ethan, Ivy, Jim, Alfie, Opal, Raven, Achilles and myself sitting in a circle. Hell, we even managed to find Ash (who was hiding in a corner) and drag him into the circle of fun. It'd been agreed that we'd play a massive game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who started. Surprisingly, Alfie won. Maybe Kristil had just decided to be nice… On the plus side no one had said anything about the imprint of a penis on Kristil's face, but I knew for sure most everyone had noticed.<p>

"Alright…" He stroked his chin and looked around thoughtfully. "Vince, truth or dare?"

_Damn it, we're starting with this shit already. _"Dare, fuck it." Of course I would go first.

"Alright…" He nodded to Ethan who raised a glowing hand, "Dare you to take a plasma blast to the face."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "This is payback for the arena, isn't it?"

Alfie smiled. "Oh, totally."  
>"To hell with it." I lowered my hands, "do your worst." A blast of blue energy surged forwards and impacted my face. The explosion was small and there was no damage (thanks to my metal skin) but my ears were ringing and it was annoying the crap out of me. "Alright, my turn." I was considering abusing my powers for vengeance but changed my mind at the last second. "A'ight. Kristil, truth or dare."<p>

"Truth, as a dare concocted by you would be childish."

I didn't bother to respond to that, and drummed my fingers against the floor while thinking of what I'd like to know about Kristil. Something popped into my head unbidden. "What was with the stuffed lion?"

"My older brother gave it for me the day before he died, but I lost it when Kessler kidnapped me." She said the words with the least amount of emotion, as if talking about the weather.

I just nodded and leaned back into the couch. "Go."

"Opal, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she answered while leaning into Raven's shoulder. She almost missed because he was a shadow again, but he materialized just in time to catch her. It was adorable.

"Punch Vince."

I scooted as far as I could to the other side of the couch, practically in Ash's lap. "Really?! Why me?"

"You asked a deeply personal question. You're getting punished for that." The telepath was too busy examining her perfect manicure to make eye contact.

"Noo," I wailed as Opal approached me and drew back her fist. I'd been punched by her before… and it sucked. She swung forward with all her might…

...and gently tapped me on the shoulder with a grin. "She never said I had to hit you hard, Vince."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and smiled back. "Thanks."  
>"No prob." She walked back over to sit with Raven, who was a shadow again. "Truth or dare?"<p>

"Truth." Fuck dares, I was sick of getting punched and blasted. If you got beef, don't take it out during a stupid game. Say somethin' and square up.

"Do you think we could've worked out?"

"Probably, if the timing was better. I mean, I'm getting the shit kicked out of me every other day trying to save the world and barely get enough sleep as it is. I don't even have free time to spend with Andi… So yeah, if things were more calm it would have worked."

She seemed satisfied with my answer and leaned back into Raven's shadow, which wrapped itself around her in a protective fashion.

Back to me. "Kristil, truth or dare."

"Dare, I suppose. Though if you try and harm me I will kill you."

I grinned like an idiot. "Nexi, can you run upstairs and grab my brownies from the fridge? They're covered in aluminum foil." She was gone before I finished the sentence and was back when I said foil.

"Hereyougobutwhatdidyouneedthesefor?"

"You'll see," I answered with a grin. "Kristil, I dare you to eat some of these brownies."

She arched an eyebrow. "There has to be more to this dare. Should I be worried about poison?"

I shook a finger at her. "Now, now. Just because I _can_ manipulate arsenic doesn't mean I will."

Kristil rolled her eyes and hesitantly took a brownie. She bit into it delicately and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing. There was no immediate effect so she hurriedly ate the rest of them at a speed that could rival Nexi's. "There," she said with a smile. "Brownies eaten. I believe it's my turn."

My mouth was hanging open in shock. "I said eat _some_, not all. You just ate twenty-four of my brownies!" See, the brownies weren't poison _persay_. In about 45 minutes, though, Kristil was going to be stoned out of her mind.

Yep. Pot brownies.

The newly-forged Conduit flipped her hair at me with another shit-eating grin. "Oh relax, Vincent. You can always bake more brownies."

"Funny you should say baked," I mumbled while trying to avoid looking her in the eyes. If I was lucky she'd be too faded to attempt murder later on. "Anyways… keep going without me."

Kristil tilted her head. "Where are you going?"

"To write my last will and testament… just in case."

* * *

><p>I'd actually left to answer the door because I heard the bell ringing. I tossed it open to find Ed and the dupe crew standing outside dressed in (thank god) casual wear. Jace had a blue jacket on over a red Nirvana shirt and Ed was wearing a black shirt, black tie and too-tight skinny jeans. Celia was wearing what looked like the clothes we wore back in Curdun Cay. Kinda weird, actually, because she was the last person I would have expected to dress casual. The scott gave me a once over and opened his mouth.<br>"Why are you dressed like a lumberjack?"

I rolled my eyes. Flannel was _comfortable_ and it was like 60 degrees outside. "Fuck off, scotty. Keep that up and I won't let you see Ash."

He glared at me and I smiled back, batting my eyelashes and blowing him a kiss. Immediately his face turned red and he brushed past me, looking like a human stoplight as he muttered something about killing me in my sleep. Unlike Kristil's death threats, it was adorable, not fear-inducing. Jace was laughing as he slapped me five and a smile ghosted across Celia's face. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought torturing Ed was funny as hell.

"C'mon, everyone's upstairs playing a game of truth or dare."

Jace shook his head in amusement. "What, you're not coming?"

"Nopehavefunbye~" I sang, running away from the door as quickly as I could without making it seem like I was actually running. I made a beeline for my room to see if Andi was still sleeping and if so, if I could sneak in and join her.

* * *

><p>Andi opened the door right as I reached for the handle. Her hair was mussed and her clothes were rumpled but her violet eyes were sharp and awake, as per usual. "Hey."<p>

"Quick, hide." I pushed my way inside and shut the door. "We need to be scarce in about 45 minutes or at least pretending to be asleep."

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes at me, "Vince, what did you do?"

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I _might_ have fed Kristil the rest of the pot brownies."

"You what?!" Andi pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Ugh… fine, I could stand for a few more hours of sleep."

"You just got up."  
>She rolled her eyes with a grin. "You're complaining about getting a chance to sleep with me?"<p>

I wisely stayed silent as we slipped into bed and snuggled up. There was no right answer in this situation so my actions had to speak for me. Thankfully my actions probably saved me from getting decapitated or beaten to death.

* * *

><p>An hour passed and no explosions had happened so I assumed it was safe to come out. We made our way to the patio where we assumed everyone would be. Except Zeke, Kuo and Alice, everyone was there, and I'm not writing out the damn names because it'll take way too long. What you should know is that Jim was grilling the burgers with his fire breath and it was pretty cool. I pulled out a chair for Andi with a flourish and sat myself down next to the black liger. It looked at me and sniffed disdainfully.<p>

_You're ruining the meat by cooking it, human._

_I'm not the one cooking it, but I get what you mean. Why don't you ask for some of the raw beef?_

She narrowed her golden eyes at me. _Because that was ruined with seasoning and spices. You humans are completely foolish. _

_Wow, harsh._ I crossed my arms and met her stare. _I like Achilles better. _

_My mate? _she gave a snort and stretched luxuriously. _He is far too kind and open with your kind. He forgets just how much pain you are capable of inflicting._

_If you don't like it, why don't you leave?_

_He is my mate, and I am bound to protect him, to stay by his side even if it means putting up with you filthy humans. Also, me and my mate are telepathically bound to Kristil._

I raised an eyebrow, _Hello pot? It's kettle, and just so you know, we're both black._

Sheba hissed softly at me, probably annoyed that I wouldn't yield on the whole cooked-food-is-better thing. I ignored her and instead flicked a small ball bearing across the table at Ash, who was sitting as far away from Edward as he possibly could, looking at his shoes with a blush on his face. I looked away from the empath and towards Kristil who had the strangest look on her face. She was staring intensely at her hand and her eyes were completely bloodshot. I watched as something scary glinted in her eyes and she suddenly hugged David with a dopey grin on her face.

"I love you so much!" she squealed as she started peppering his face with kisses. If I'd been drinking anything I would've spat it out. I thought the brownies were indica heavy… but apparently they were sativa heavy and we were all about to be treated to a very dopey Kristil.

David looked confused and weirded out at the same time. "Uh, thanks?" He gently pushed her and then he saw it. "But uh, why is there an imprint of my-"

Kristil gasped and slammed her hand over David's mouth. Apparently being high didn't affect her powers in the slightest, because she immediately whirled to face me with a pout on her face.

Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of trying to murder me and shatter my consciousness she was pouting at me. Somehow that was far more terrifying. As it were she crossed her arms and frowned cutely in my direction.

"Vinnie, that's soooo mean! Why would you do that to me?" Everyone around the table gave me looks varying in levels of amusement and fear. I'm pretty sure Kristil had never acted like that before, ever, and people were seriously worried. I quickly recovered and met Kristil's accusing stare.

"I, uh… I'm sorry?" As soon as I said that she broke into another grin, leaped across the table and wrapped me in a crushing hug, mashing her face up against mine and smearing platinum all over me. I'll admit, I absorbed it. What? You never know when you might need some extra cash.  
>"Yay, Vinnie likes me! You're not a meanie, you're my bestest friend ever!"<p>

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice open the sliding door, look at that the situation, and promptly facepalm. "Dear Tolkien, Vincent. What evil have you unleashed upon the world?"

_Don't just stand there, _I thought angrily at the other telepath. _Help me, damnit!_

_That's mean Vinnie! I thought we were bestest friends! _Kristil thought at me with another pout. She pulled back, away from me but still sitting in my lap, and then immediately crushed me to her chest in another hug. "Why don't you like meeee?" she wailed aloud. I could hear the tears in her suddenly choked-up voice.

Aaaand now every single Converted in this place was ready to murder me. Also I was pretty sure I heard someone taking pictures, so after taking a deep breath I organized my thoughts and sent them directly at Kristil.

_I totally like you, Kristil. But you're kinda in my space right now, and I'm pretty sure that if you don't move either David is going to try and kill me or Andi is going to try and kill you. _

Kristil just smiled goofily while flapping her hand at me. Apparently her depth perception was off because she was smacking me in the face as she did so. "Ooh, don't worry about that, silly. With my psychic powers-" I kid you not she raised her hands and wiggled them like she was on some cheesy show- "I am in_**vinc**_ible!" She burst into laughter and I rolled my eyes. Even when she was faded beyond belief she still found ways to make fun of me. "Get it, invincible?"

I rubbed a hand across my face and sighed. "I get it." It was almost like she'd sucked all the fun out of me and put it into herself. I was forced to be the responsible adult, and that was no fun by any means of the word. Sadly, I shouldered my new responsibility and told Kristil to go play with Achilles and sent her off towards the giant cat with a friendly shove. He glared at me and I mouthed 'sorry' to him as the baked teenage billionaire showered him in kisses and tried to roll around on him like a carpet. I idly wondered if Achilles could use a phone and if he would call the humane society to report a case of animal abuse. Sicing Kristil on him probably counted. Anyways, that train of thought crashed violently when David put me in a headlock and dragged me off the balcony into the hallway, slamming the door behind him. I gulped and rubbed my throat after he let go.

"Jeez, way to crush my trachea." He just glared at me in an attempt to vaporize my soul. It didn't work, so eventually he took a deep breath and settled for words.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing permanent," I said with a smirk before he swung at me. I barely ducked out of the way in time and flipped to my feet, shreds of metal drifting around my arms. "Whoa, dude! Chill, it was just some pot brownies, I swear!"

"Oh." David dropped out of his boxing stance and rolled his shoulders. "So she'll be fine in a few hours?"

I rubbed the back of my head and grinned sheepishly. "Well, it might last a bit longer than that. She ate like twelve grams worth." David let out a low whistle and I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's gonna be gone for like two days-ish so hopefully the Converted can survive without their glorious-" I put air-quotes around the word glorious "-leader."

David chuckled dryly and tilted his head towards the patio. "I think we can manage."

I sighed and raked a hand through my hair, mussing it up and leaving it even more tangled than before as I headed back onto the patio. "Good, because I'm way too young to be responsible for the collapse of a society." A sneeze wracked my body as I set foot over the threshold, and I gave Ed my best flirty look. "Talking about me behind my back, Eddie?"

"Whatever helps stroke that narcissistic ego of yours," he replied while buffing his nails on his shirt, barely bothering to look up.

I shrugged and openly poured myself a glass of what everyone assumed was Fetch's lemonade and Ash gave me a horrified look from the other side of the balcony as I downed half of it in one gulp with a cheeky grin. "I get it, you like my ass. I thought we covered this already, it's an 8 out of 10." Ed glared at me, a blush creeping up his neck, and I gave him my best innocent smile before drinking more of the lemonade. "I still don't get what's so special about Ash, though. Why the hell am I an eight when he's a te-" I made the mistake of standing within punching distance, because in a split second Edward's fist crashed into my face, coated in glass. I just rolled with the punch and tossed my arms backwards, using my thrusters to slow down and calling up a plate of metal underneath my feet to stabilize me in the air.

"You're dead!" the scot yelled before launching himself at me and letting loose twin streams of molten glass. I let the glass hit my skin and flew forward, bringing a foot plated with metal up to meet his chin. _What's a party without a good fight?_

His body _literally _shattered upon impact. I mean it _actually _shattered into tiny pieces of glass. I turned around to see Ash and Raven's attention on me, though everyone else seemed to be in their own world. Including Jace and Celia. Hesitantly, I floated over to the duo, who seemed to be having a serious conversation.

"I… urmm… I think I broke your team-mate. Unless there's a glass clone jutsu I don't know about."

Celia rolled her eyes at me. "It was a mirror, not a clone. If you'd actually killed him don't you think we'd be trying to kill you right now?"

I shrugged and pulled out a chair to sit back down. "Fair enough. I'm pretty sure I'd lose that fight too. I mean, your boyfriend only has the ability to make everything go boom."

"My powers are so overrated." Jace almost whines in response.

I flicked a ball bearing at him annoyance. It was intercepted by a paper knife before it even got close to his head, and Celia gave me an irritated look. I shrugged and looked over at Jace. "How could they be over-rated? You can literally make everything around you explode violently."

"Handling Hellfire is like carrying a litre of water over the Himalayas. In your hands."

"That metaphor doesn't work for me since I could use my powers to make a container in my hands, but I guess the point is that it's hard."

Something poked my elbow, and I turned to discover it was Ash's finger. The empath had an expression somewhere between wonder and horror written across his face.

"How… in the _world_ are you not dying?"

I shrugged and put on my best innocent face. "I dunno, Ash. I think Fetch's lemonade is pretty amazing." I saw Fetch beam at me from the corner of my eye and had to bite back a laugh.

Ash turned away from me and began to bite his thumbnail, "The world's gone mad." I heard him mutter. I materialized a thin rod of metal with a twitch of my hand and poked him in the side with it, and when he turned back I offered him a glass.

"Just one sip dude. I promise, it'll be really good. Plus," I looked back over at Fetch before lowering my voice, "normally a pissed Fetch would be pretty bad. But do you really want to insult her lemonade and risk facing a pissed, hormonal, _pregnant_ Fetch?"

Without another word, Ash hesitantly took the glass from me and took a cautious sip. He looked as if he was being forced to drink poison.

"... not enough sugar." He commented. I just rolled my eyes. All that work I put into making better lemonade and the cheeky brit tells me I don't have enough sugar in it. Obviously there's no pleasing some people. Ed was standing in the corner, seeming to be deep in conversation with Jim and Alfie. I flicked a shard of metal at him to get his attention and it bounced off the back of his head. With an audible groan he turned around and marched over to where I was sitting, slamming both of his palms on the table and staring me down.

"What?"

"Spill," I said while leaning forward to cuddle against his chest. He jumped back like my touch burned him and glared at me with the force of a thousand suns, which I shrugged off no problem. "When did you learn to make life-sized, accurate copies of yourself?"

Ed crossed his arms and raised a suspiciously well-manicured eyebrow. "What are you on about now? I thought Kristil was the high one here." and indeed she was, trying to drag Achilles down the hall so she could give the 'pretty kitty' a makeover. To the liger's credit his claws were dug into the wood of the patio and he was leaving long furrows in it as the tar wrapped around his midsection pulled him closer to a glittery doom.

"C'mon, I kicked you in the face and you exploded into glass," I said with a wave of my hand. "Plus, Celia and Jace confirmed and then Jace gave me a really long winded analogy of his powers which somehow equates to water in the Himalayas." Edward just looked at me like I'd had a bit too much to drink and I was about to go back to just harassing him about Ash when a rogue thought popped into my head. _What if he subconsciously creates his clones in response to different stimuli? If none of the clones are aware that they're, well, clones that means we'd have a bunch of Ed's running around thinking they were the original. What if some of them met? Would the real Ed be able to absorb the other Ed's or would they be able to defeat him? Could the fake Ed's merge into some kind of giant, ultra-fake-_ I snapped out of my thought to see the scot holding back a laugh and I sighed. _Or he could be a lying asshole who's about to get blasted. _

Flipping my palm up, I loosed a blast of shrapnel at Ed's smug face, sending (hopefully) the real one crashing through the balcony railing and towards the ground below. After getting up and running over to the railing to watch his descent I noted that he didn't explode into tiny little glass bits and was looking really pissed off. I jumped down after him because the last thing we needed was for him to blow up a balcony with some of America's (and dare I say the world's?) most powerful conduits. That would be like pressing detonate on a nuclear warhead and then giving it a big smiley hug.

Plus death-by-Fetch was not one of the ways I wanted to go down. Seriously, she'd water the grass with my blood and hang my skull on her mantelpiece… assuming there was anything left after Celia finished with me. _Now that's someone who would keep a trophy room. I should ask Ed about that. _"Yo, does Celia have a trophy room?"

His expression went from angry to slightly less angry and more confused. "I don't know why I even bother," he mumbled to himself. "Yes, she has a trophy room. She's won several for origami folding and various other activities. Also she's a big souvenir collector."

I shook my head and called for Anékdotos, mentally telling it to break as little stuff on it's way here as possible. "I meant like trophies from her kills. Y'know, she takes a finger or like a scrap of clothing or their skull or whatever." The scot's jaw dropped and I raised my hand into the air, telling Anékdotos that not breaking stuff was cool but maybe it could hurry up a little? The feeling I got back was the closest any metal had ever come to sentience; in response to my request I got the feeling that my hammer was giving me backtalk as it crashed through the bottom wall and landed in my upraised palm. I glared at it. "I would appreciate it if you _didn't _feel the need to sass me next time." The hammer vibrated slightly as I pointed it at Ed; almost like it was saying 'whatever, you're not my dad'.

"You know that's an inanimate object?" the scot asked me as he called up a trident and a shield. "I knew you were crazy but talking to a hammer means you've completely lost it."

My response was to launch myself forward and smash my hammer into his shield, sending spiderweb cracks running over the surface. _That's weird… I didn't even hit that hard._ "You never answered my question about Celia. I kinda need to know in case I ever get in a serious fight with her and lose. I don't want to wake up missing a kidney or my right toe or something." I ducked under a swipe from the trident and nearly got shaved by the edge of Ed's aegis, which was freaking sharp. Who sharpens the edge of their shield? It's meant for defense, not combat!

"I seriously worry about your mental state of health" was his response as the trident came down on my head. I swung up to meet it and the pointed ends exploded into sparkly green dust. I leapt backwards to avoid getting in my eyes and left Ed gaping as he reabsorbed it to reform the trident. "There's no way your hammer is that strong! My glass is harder and stronger than steel, and you barely managed to crack it with your amp the last time!"

I laughed and spun my hammer nonchalantly around my hand. "Harder than steel? Funny, that's what Andi says about my di-" A trident came outta nowhere and smashed into my lower jaw with a sickening crack. My skin turned to metal but unfortunately didn't absorb any of the kinetic energy behind the blow: I crashed up and through the balcony into Raven who was still just a shadow. The only thing that was seriously hurt was his chair, and he gave me a physical hand up while the rest of him remained 2D. Weird.

"Need help?"

"Sure." I flashed him a grin and he nodded before sliding over to merge with my own shadow, which felt _way_ too intimate for such a simple act. A shudder wracked my body and some r-rated thoughts flashed across my mind before I got it under control and jumped back down the hole I made in the first place where Ed was waiting to fire a glass rocket. Before it even got close shadows from around me leaped out and lanced through it, destroying the blast and protecting me from the explosion. I raised an eyebrow and looked back towards my shadow which was darker than black and looked suspiciously like Raven. It gave me a thumbs up and I returned my focus to the scot, metal swirling around my hands.

"Shadows huh? Which is basically an area void of light. And manipulating light… is one of my specialties." Ed smirked… then disappeared. No literally, he disappeared.

"Swing left," Raven said, his breath tickling my ear. My mind shut down and all I could think was _way way way too close._ Shadows leaped out and caught a trident, yanking it away from my ribs. I swung left and the air shattered in front of me. I made out the shape of a transparent orb in just before it collapsed into tiny glass pebbles. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that," Raven whispered in a low tone that practically kissed my skin. I couldn't form a coherent reply so I just nodded. _Down, Vince! Down! Think about Andi and how pissed she would be if you got it on with Raven… actually I'm pretty sure she'd cheer me on._

"They usually don't." A fist punched through the ground and smashed a crater in the grassy backyard. I'd barely moved out of the way, and Raven made a little face at the fist which was hard to do considering that it had no facial features. I let Anékdotos shoot towards the fist of it's own accord, and on impact the fist shattered. _I'm gettin' really tired of this shit._ Raven moved closer to me and his presence settled comfortably against my back. I almost leaned into it before I remembered there was a invisible conduit fight going on and fought a mental battle to avoid leaning into the warmth. "So rave, this whole shadow merging thing… you do it with Opal?" My response was some laughter and a pinch on the ass.  
>"Focus on the battle," the shadow teen teased. "If you want afterwards I'll show you exactly what I do with Opal."<p>

That offer should not have been so tempting.

"I doubt you'd like being topped," I shot back with a cocky grin I knew Raven could see. "Seriously though, where the hell is the Scot?"

"He's just standing in front of you. Swing h-" Raven's connection was cut off and suddenly I was very, very cold. "What the hell?" I heard Raven ask, but this time his voice sounded like it was echoing, which made no sense whatsoever. "Moving feels confusing," he complained. "Is this one of those stupid mirror things?"

"An infinity mirror," Ed's voice confirmed from about ten feet away, "Two parallel mirrors giving the illusion of an infinite corridor. Except in this case, it's sixty-four mirrors… and since 'parallel' itself is only a theory, it'll only trap you for a while. But long enough."

"Oh my god, I hate these things!" Raven grumbled. "It takes _forever_ to get out of them, but when I do I'm gonna beat your ass into submission, Scot boy!"

"I'm not scared of you, and I can make an infinity mirror trap in seconds so I'd just make another one. And no one will ever 'beat my ass into submission', you can count on that."

"Not even Ash?" I teased while looking around and twirling my hammer. "Cause I can totally see him going all dom on ya."

"Forget Ash, I believe a certain Jake has already done it." Celia's voice rung out from above. She was sitting on a high wall, cross-legged and almost-smiling, "Oh, don't stop on my behalf, I _enjoy _watching men's petty quarrels." She was holding a bowl of popcorn in her left hand and was munching on them with a look of burning intrigue.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you sure you're not secretly shipping me and Ed into a yaoi love/hate relationship? Because I get the feeling you are. Trust me, I'd only sleep with him if he was the last living being on earth. And even then I'd rather use a fleshli-" a hand smashed into my face and I went tumbling backwards across the lawn with shards of glass following me all the way, bouncing off my metal skin after I stopped rolling.

Good news: I could see Ed again. Bad news: He was charging straight at me. In fact, _three _Ed's were running straight at me. I snapped Anékdotos into it's warhammer form and unleashed a torrent of metal shrapnel that completely tore up the lawn, leaving it a mess of brown mud, and smashed into the Eds. Whoever our gardener was I had a feeling he might be tempted to murder me when he came in tomorrow.

All three of them shattered.

A triangular transparent shape invaded the peripheral vision of my right eye, and I could feel a hand on my neck. My skin had turned to metal, but the hand was squeezing the back of my neck so hard that it was starting to bend slightly.

"I wonder," Ed's voice was so smug, I could practically hear his smirk, "Do your eyes turn to metal too?" So the triangular shape was the point of a glass knife… half an inch away from my eyeball. Instead of saying something intelligent, my brain spat out the first thing that came to mind.

"Ooh, Eddie," I moaned as he squeezed my neck tighter. "That's hot." My moan came out a little breathier than I intended but that only added to it. I was pretty sure I heard Andi choke on something up on the balcony and Opal slap her on the back. Personally I wish I could've seen Ed's face because I'm pretty sure he was having a stroke right about now... Also I was kinda worried because I heard Delsin taking bets on if we'd fight or end up fucking.

Ed spun me around to face me and swung his knife straight for my face. I was just finished preparing myself for a life of looking like a pirate when shadows leapt out and snatched the knife from out of my face.

"The only one allowed to leave marks on Vince is me," Raven growled as I was cloaked in shadows. Above, I heard Fetch put fifty bucks on a threesome. _Goddamnit._

"You annoy me… See ya!" Raven's shadow was pulled towards the left and disappeared yet again. I swore because the second time I felt even colder. Unbidden, a surge of shrapnel burst from me in a circle of death.

Later, I was told that my eyes flashed solid bronze for a split second. Anyways, I had put Anékdotos away and was getting ready to destroy Ed with a barrage of rockets who had summoned his own mixture of molten-glass rockets and giant pyramid shaped ones. We both unleashed our arsenal and I was about to activate iron sand when a flurry of white blocked my sight.

When it cleared, all traces of our rockets had vanished and standing in between us was Celia. Only the violet in her eyes was glowing and a miniature paper tornado swirled around her.

"Okay, bitches," Her smile was _so_ goddamned smug, "Playtime's over." See, normally I would call this theatrics on her part. Call up a little paper vortex and boom, you're a badass. But she just carried herself like she was miles beyond us and insanely above our league. Okay, that part pissed me off, so I raised my hand to fire a rocket-

A thin strip of paper lashed out and yanked me by my wrist directly into the line of a straight jab from the paper conduit. Lo and behold, several of my fingers were now bending in the wrong direction. I would've screamed if I could even form a thought at this point. My entire existence was this infinity of pain that bounced back and forth up and down by bones and concentrated in my hand like a ball of fire. I just sunk onto the ground and watched my hand flip in between metal and flesh as it slowly and painfully knit itself back together. At the end of that small eternity I was able to raise my head from the ground and look at Celia in what might've been respect if I wasn't such an asshole.  
>"Color me impressed," I gritted out between clenched teeth as I flexed my newly healed hand. "But how long can you do that for?"<p>

"I only need a split-second to kill the likes of you Vincent," Her face suddenly went deadly serious, "it'd be wise to remember that."

"Duly noted. Now if you're done showing off can I get back to pounding Ed into oblivion?"

"I already said, playtime's over. We have more guests. And we only came here for Ed, who didn't come to fight."

"Fine, mom." I said with a scoff. "God, you'll never understand my generation."

"If the rest of the generation is like you, I'd be willing to commit genocide."

"Technically not genocide," I pointed out. "Unless you're secretly a white supremacist."

"Are you blind! Or just dumb? I'm _fucking _ASIAN!"

"Blind? Look who's talking! Nigga I could blindfold ya with some dental floss-"

Another strip of paper smashed into my jaw and I could feel it break in more than two places. Still, because my brain is retarded I laughed instead of screaming in agony and Celia was preparing to kill me. _What is wrong with this failing excuse for metal-skin? It's a miracle all my teeth are intact._

"Celia, if you're done emasculating poor Vince," Alice said from above us, "I'd like to talk to you."

"Now you intervene!" I barely managed to say. Then something Celia said earlier clicked in my head through the fog of pain. "Wait, if Ed didn't come here to fight that means he came here to shag Ash-" another flick of a paper strip shattered my ribs and I shut up to focus on breathing for the next couple seconds, but over my tortured breaths I could hear the sound of Fetch now betting on when Ash and Ed would hook up.

Shadows sprung up around me and my injuries were healed by Raven dumping energy into my body. "Are you trying to get killed?" he asked with a hiss. "Jesus, challenging Celia when she's in Apex like that… what the hell, man?!"

"Shut up, be a good boyfriend, and heal me!" I hissed back. He did so and the last of my ribs snapped back into place just as Andi hit the deck unconscious. I bet she had one killer nosebleed right about now. Raven now protectively wrapped me in shadows, making all my clothes black and giving me a hood. _If you think about it, I'm inside Raven_. Normally I'd laugh but I felt really, _really _warm right that second… so excuse me if I enjoyed the sensation of being wrapped in the most comfortable blanket ever. I swear that Raven's head was hovering somewhere around my neck and that he was doing his best to be as seductive as possible.

"Get off." I muttered. "Before I kill you."

"Didn't know you were into necro shit," he replied with a laugh. I groaned and facepalmed as loudly as possible before ditching the shit show that was the lawn and launching back up through the hole to see that my girlfriend was in fact passed out with a substantial nosebleed, proving that she'd overloaded her brain with yaoi fantasies about me.

"One hell of a gf," Raven mumbled into my ear. "Ya think she'd let me borrow you?"

"She'd be all to happy to," I admitted as I bent over to pick her up. Shadows rushed out and gently cradled her before levitating her over to me. Apparently Raven was good for something after all. "I actually think she'd let another guy into the relationship if she got to watch us bang."

Raven shifted around me and I could feel his surprise. "Wait, seriously?"

I nodded and rolled my eyes. "Entirely."

The shadows darkened and got even warmer than before. "Maybe we should-"  
>"One more word and I <em>will<em> sic Fetch on you," I threatened. Raven shut up pretty quick after being faced with the prospect of blinding light. I sent his shadows after a napkin which I used to clean off Andi's face, but her dark purple tee was unsalvageable. She began to stir, and I bent over her to lightly kiss her forehead. "You know yaoi is bad for your health," I said jokingly.

"Shut it." she muttered. "A girl can dream."

"I agree!" Raven said with glee. "In fact, why dream when Vince really, really wants to bone me-"  
>I screamed "FETCH BLAST THIS MOTHERFUCKER" at top volume. The neon conduit jumped six feet in the air but complied and sent a copious amount of lasers my way, managing to blast Raven back onto the floor in 3D. He rubbed his head and gave me a guilty smile.<p>

"Still friends?"

I nodded and helped him up from the ground with a swirl of metal. Raven slapped me five and then hugged me. "Seriously though, it's great to see you again."  
>"Yeah, I know." I let go and was suddenly aware of how close we were standing to each other, not to mention the hopeful look on Andi's face and the way Opal was leaning forward on the chair, biting her bottom lip with a wistful expression. I sighed and looked at the both of them, who each started. Opal nearly tipped her chair over.<p>

"This. One. Time. Never again, got it?" With that I turned back to Raven and moved in to kiss him.

* * *

><p>Jesus Christ. This might be the longest chapter I've ever put out. It's 12 thousand words of no critical importance to the plot and the party's just getting started. I started this on St. Patties day, freakin' St. Patties day. That's two weeks I've been stuck on writers block and unable to finish this beast… and now that I have it's the biggest chapter I've ever written. I'm just gonna say now, there's gonna be tons of spelling errors and stuff I'll need to fix so try and be patient with me, yeah? Damn, so much words! Stay awesome and please, if nothing else, review this chapter. I still can't believe I wrote this much… it's almost half of this document.<br>~Kole(Zeta)


	23. Chapter 23: Daddy Issues

Okay, so maybe this chapter will be less… I dunno, less… something. I don't even know, but what I do know is this story just got two extra chapters trying to wrap up the mess from the last one. Stay awesome and remember to review. Oh yeah, and remember how last chapter kinda edged into M? This one will even more so… dear god. I blame Haru for all of this.

~Kole (Zeta)

* * *

><p>So that whole 'one time' thing was quickly discarded when that kiss turned into a makeout session. I had Raven up against the wall with his hands tangled in my hair and his legs wrapped around my back, so…<p>

Eh, we're not going to talk about that, but I'm pretty sure Fetch made a ton of money off Jim and Ethan. Funnily enough, Raven was the first one to break away which left me to trail kisses down the side of his neck as he gasped for air. What snapped us out of it was a long, low wolf whistle from someone I'd never seen before. Thank god she interrupted because neither of our girlfriends were doing jack shit. I jumped backwards, blood rushing to my face while Raven turned into a shadow on the wall and flitted away out of sight.

"That was pretty hot but I didn't come here for a show," the stranger said with a shit-eating grin. "I heard there was food, and lots of it." She gave a pointed look at the veritable mountain of burgers and licked her lips, "I call that plate."

Alice sighed as her palm made the journey and reconnected with her forehead. "Coraline, you have to share."

'Coraline' frowned and brushed her long hair out of the way. "Awww, Alice-kun! That's barely enough for me and you want me to _share_?" She looked just as freaky as Alice: her eyes were burning emeralds, her hair was the colour of leaves and even her skin had a slightly green tinge to it. The worst part was her irises… they were shaped like buttons.

"Insufferable as it may seem," the… wait, what do you even call Alice's power? Book manipulation? It's like some form of reality-alteration based around books, so… biblio-kinesis? I dunno, the point is Alice took a seat and Celia went back to Jace, breaking off whatever short conversation they might've had. I just wished I could disappear like Raven because things had gotten way, way further than they were supposed to. I was gonna make an exit but then Andi surged forward to grab two fistfuls of my shirt and stare me down.

"You'd better go after him." Yeah, you read that right. My _girlfriend_ told me to go after the guy who I'd just played passionate tonsil hockey with. I briefly wondered if the world had gone upside down in the thirty seconds I spent with Raven. Maybe we'd fallen through one of those glowing cracks he was so fond of and suddenly were in a world where dogs meowed, cats barked and my _girlfriend_ told me to go chase after other men.

"Wh-what?" I asked, trying to make sure that I wasn't tripping off some residual drugs in my system or anything.

"You heard me." With another yank of my shirt I was at face level with her and at risk of getting lost in her stormy violet eyes.

"You'd do it for me, right?" Her voice dropped an octave, and she let one hand go to gently stroke my chin. "You'll do _anything_ for me, won't you Luc." Well, the puppy eyes and the fuck-me voice won over something deep within my psyche because the next thing I knew I was rapidly nodding. Ed coughed and it sounded suspiciously like the word _whipped _so I shot a glare in his general direction. That was all I dared because Celia and her freaky 'Apex', as Rave dubbed it, could kick my ass to the pearly gates and back with considerable ease. I doubted that the rocker guy who was apparently God would be so forgiving about dying a second time. _I wonder if my ticket to paradise is good for a second time? Hopefully I didn't throw my afterlife away for a broken hand and a makeout session._ With that sobering thought in mind I launched after the young umbra-kinetic, heading in the general direction I'd seen his shadow go.

He could teleport if he wanted though, so my pursuit could be pretty useless. Thankfully I found him a couple blocks away when some shadows reached out from a brick wall and dragged me through it.

I ended up in a slate grey room with no windows, a couch, a tv and a fridge. It was hardly thirty feet across and empty save for these things and a futon in the corner. With a glare at the shadows that had spat me out here, I flopped down on the couch and grabbed the tv remote. What I didn't expect was for Raven to materialize on my lap and bury himself in my chest with a rumbling that sounded too much like a purr. "Well hello there," he purred in the crook of my neck before teasing it between his teeth. "I see you found the door."

"Dude, fuck off." I quickly clicked on netflix and waited for the service to load. It could be the only thing that saved me right here. It did, and with a prayer to the rocker above I started watching some House. "House is on, and no sex while I'm trying to watch Hugh Laurie solve the latest medical mystery." Raven groaned and flung himself onto the other side of the dilapidated old couch, sinking into the cushions.

"How have you not binge-watched this yet?" he complained as I steadily ignored the cute face he made when he pouted. "It's freakin' House! It ended in 2012, dude."

"If you spoil it I will freaking murder your face off with extreme prejudice," I replied while turning up the volume. "Where are we anyways?"  
>"Britain," Raven said casually. Because, you know, for him it was <em>normal<em> to cross almost four thousand miles in the blink of an eye. I almost had a heart attack, crushing the remote in between my hand involuntarily.

"WHAT?!" I tried killing him with a rain of knives but he'd already gone 2D. His cheshire smile reappeared as he flitted over to the wall and loomed over me.

"Yeah, dude. I've got safehouses like this in random places. You'd be surprised how easy it is to build these things after I steal some money from banks." Okay, that part was pretty cool, and I turned around to look at the shadow.

"You rob banks?"

The smile got wider. "Duh. How do you think the dupes caught wind of me? I used my shadow powers to just take the money and poof it away." All of a sudden, the shadow rushed away from the wall and pinned me to the floor, re-shaping into Raven who gently nuzzled my neck. "C'mon dude, you know you wanna."

I flicked his forehead, annoyed more than turned on now. "Sounds like you're the one begging for it. Besides, I don't want Fetch to make any more money off the pair of us than she already has."

Rave arched an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

"Delsin was taking bets on what we'd do," I confirmed with another eye roll. "And I heard Fetch put her money on at least two of us banging, threesome take all." Rave made a face heartbreakingly cute, his eyes crinkled and his nose twitching in disgust.

"Ugh. Dude, I'd never sleep with what's-his-face. Seriously, as long as I have my right hand I have a better option than scotty boy." I chuckled at that and leaned forward to bump noses with the umbra-kinetic who fit perfectly in the curve of my left arm.

"I know, right? Way too bulked up for my taste. If he wasn't a conduit I'd call him for using roids. You know what, he probably does-" all my taking gave Raven an opportunity to capture my lips and this time, I didn't fight him.

Okay, let's clear something up before I write down any more of this. I'm _not_ gay. I am, however bisexual with a preference for women. It's not my fault Rave was, _is_ so damn cute. With his long hair and soft features I swear he'd pass for one sexy girl. Idly I wondered if I could get Rave in a skirt and stockings… _Oh god, striped stockings… mmm. _The little bastard let out the cutest moan I'd ever heard and I absolutely lost it.

"Rave?" I murmured into his ear. We barely fit on that couch together but oh _man_, was it fucking worth it.

"Mmm." He uncurled and stretched, raising his arms above his head before bringing them back down to circle around my neck. "Yeah?" he asked as his emerald orbs met mine and I melted a little bit on the inside.

"Fetch just made a fuckton of money."

"I don't care," he answered as he brushed his lips against mine, sending a shiver racing down my spine. "But I do know that I'm not gonna be able to walk right for a fucking week. You really gave me a pounding, dude. Is Andi not putting out or something?"

"I've just been busy with all this save the world bullshit," I mumbled back. "That and she's no longer having nightmares so her body is forcing her to catch up on lost sleep. It's great for her but I guess I was a little pent up." Rave laughed softly and licked my ear before going 2D and re-emerging with all his clothes back on.

"We should get back, man. It's been more than a few hours." He flicked my nose with his finger and grinned. "Not that I don't love kinky couch sex, but seriously, it was one when we left and it's six now, counting for wonky britain time."

"What?!" I jumped up and started fumbling for my briefs. Yes, I'm firmly on the briefs side of the battle. Boxers are just too lose. "Shit man, why didn't you say anything?"

He tossed a pair of jeans at my face and I tugged them on backwards at first before realizing and trying to fix my mistake. "Uh, because it's a little hard to think when you're getting rammed like a jackhammer."

"I know I'm good," I snapped at him as my fingers flew up the buttons on my flannel shirt, "You don't have to remind me."

"Apparently I do," he said with a chuckle. A flick of his wrist opened a shadow portal back to hopefully the mansion. "Oh, and Vince?" I stopped to look over at him and he grinned. "You talk in your sleep. A skirt and stockings, huh? I'll see if Opal will let me borrow some." And with that he jumped through, leaving me to gape at him like an idiot. _Well fuck._

On the other side of the portal was the patio. No one was there so I sent out a mag pulse and located everyone in the home theater. I also kicked myself for not using that during the battle where I couldn't see Ed. _Would've come in real handy, fucktard._ Rave popped out of the shadows and latched onto my arm with a grin. "Carry me."

"You're an idiot," I grumbled at him as he jumped into my arms and cuddled to my chest. "You really want Fetch to make all that money?"

"Do you really care?" he asked with his eyes closed. Something clicked in my head and I suddenly remembered that I could just opt not to give a fuck. That attitude got me through highschool and it sure as hell could help me deal with the shitstorm that a bunch of conduits were about to rain on me. So, head held high and Rave in my arms, I marched down several flights of stairs to enter the theater in the west wing.

Oh yeah, we have literal wings here. I nudged to door open with my foot to find the Return of the King playing on the huge silver screen. I snuck down the rows, hearing more than a few snickers, and sat down next to Andi and Opal. The entire theater was set up for couples, with couches instead of stadium seating, so I was forced to squeeze in between the two girls with Raven in my lap. Andi planted a kiss on my cheek and grinned at me. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I'll say," Raven said from his place in my arms as he nuzzled my cheek. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." I was stuck between punching his face in or giving him another kiss. Punching him would make me feel better but the kiss would for sure score me some brownie points with Andi…and would also make me feel better. Anyways I took another look at Rave and melted a little more because he was just so damn cute. So I just rolled with it and surprised him with a kiss just as Aragorn skewered an orc on Anduril. Not exactly the most romantic moment but I think I made it work. Andi squealed and immediately got shushed by several people as Fetch collected even more money from everyone else who bet against us.

Raven was again the first one to pull away, my bottom lip pinched between his teeth as he moved his head back and smiled at me before letting go entirely, sitting up and resting his head in the crook of my neck. Andi wrapped her arm around mine and Opal swung her legs up around to rest on the arm of the luxurious golden couch, her head in Raven's lap. It actually felt pretty good just to sit there and watch a movie, y'know, because no one was trying to kill me anymore and I got to pretend to be normal for a little bit. _There's no way this is gonna last,_ I thought idly.

And what happened next, you ask? Well hell pretty much broke loose after the movie switched to a news broadcast. "... live as GOLIATH attempts to subdue violent bioterrorists down at the Space Needle." a shaky camera zoomed in on explosions of metal and what looked like blasts of ice. Between all the chaos you could barely make out the flash of a gun and what looked like a pair of sunglasses glinting in the light. Delsin was the first one to speak up.

"So, does anyone know where Kuo and Zeke are?" Silence and the sound of explosions filled the theater. I raised my hand and Delsin glanced at me.

"I'm gonna hazard a guess and say the Space Needle," I said with the driest tone I could muster. Delsin groaned and disappeared in a burst of smoke, reappearing with a chain wrapped around his wrist. "Alright, let's go and fix this before shit really hits the fan. Fetch, stay here and count your money; everyone else roll out."

"Uh, I can teleport us all there," Raven mentioned as everyone was getting ready to book it. "It shouldn't be that hard."

I grinned and threw an arm around the umbra-kinetic. "And _that_ is why you're second bae."

We spilled out of the back of the Space Needle, changed into battle clothes, armed to the teeth and probably scaring the shit out of that poor custodian. Kuo and Zeke were hunkered down behind thick walls of ice, occasionally popping out to blast back at the GOLIATH goons. Delsin raised his hands and together we unleashed enough firepower to waste a small country. The goons were completely obliterated in a huge blast of smoke, paper, glass, tar, ice, plasma, metal, ink, shadows and fire. Raven flickered into my shadow and I rushed forward to help Zeke to his feet.

"Thanks, brother! They had us pinned pretty good down there."

I arched an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't notice. Seriously, what the hell were you thinking starting a fight at the Space Needle?"

A familiar voice rang out across the courtyard and pierced through my soul. "That they'd win, of course." I slowly turned around to see the person I'd still hoped through all of this was still dead somehow. My dad stood there, in a silver trench coat and military uniform with the orange celtic diamond emblazoned over his chest. His hair was cropped short and close against his head and he was flanked by at least thirty of the faceless. He smiled at me. "Hello Vincent."

"You should've stayed dead," I spat back at him with rancor dripping from my words. "I mean, really. It would've saved me the trouble of killing you this time."

"Please." He raised his hands and called up all the scrap around his arms. "You're nowhere near my level, Vince. You never have been, never will be."

"Your dad's a freakin' prick," Raven said from my shadow.  
>I let metal swirl around my hands in answer to my dad's challenge. "Yeah, at least you didn't have to live with him for fourteen years."<p>

"True dat," Raven said. "I've got your back, so just go for it." I did, unleashing two rockets at him before grabbing Anékdotos and extending it to warhammer form. My dad just flicked the rockets away before blasting back with a much improved, bigger version of mine. Thankfully Raven's shadows shot forward and sliced them neatly in half as I switched over to iron sand and swung my warhammer down, bringing a spike of sand down towards my dad. He waved his hands and called up a dome which absorbed the impact and split my sands, spilling them over the sides. I slammed the hilt against the ground and the sand formed spikes in a split second, but Victor had already encased himself in metal.

Not dad, Victor. Killing him would be so much easier if I made it impersonal and business-like. Tendrils shot outwards from the metal casing, tipped with blades. I leapt backwards and used my sand to fly, lashing out with Anékdotos if the blades got too close and shattering them to pieces. The remaining few tendrils merged together to form a giant, bladed claw that threatened to close on me. Raven's shadows sprung out at the last minute and turned it into nothing with a powerful blast of darkness.

"That's new." I spun around to see Victor standing calmly a few feet behind me. "Though I doubt you've gained different powers. Tell me, where did you find a shadow conduit?"

My response was to send a gruesome rush of sand after him. Victor jumped away and my sand chased after him, vaguely taking the shape of an oriental dragon as it tore through the landscape and spiked claws surged after him in the air, snapping and exploding in spiky bursts. Victor dodged for a time, but eventually called up a huge metal disk and fired four rockets in quick succession while floating in the air, disrupting my sand. I was about to send it chasing after him again when a sharp pain pierced the left side of my chest. Victor was smiling as he lowered a smoking revolver from fifty yards away. I didn't even need to look down to know that I'd just been dealt the same hand as Eugene. The sand floating around me sputtered, then dropped lifelessly to the ground. I fell.

Shadows cradled me before I hit the ground, slowing my descent and gently lowering me onto the concrete. I felt energy starting to pump into me, but the shadows fled after another shot rang out and a bullet pinged off the ground next to me. It was all I could do to keep from choking on the blood that filled my left lung as my dad floated down next to me and re-absorbed his disk.

"Handy, isn't it?" Victor smiled at me and tapped the tip of the revolver against his left temple. Of all the things I could be thinking, I wondered why his left-handedness didn't get passed onto me. "Lorcan supplied me with a revolver shortly after I announced GOLIATH's existence to the world. Of course, he only gave me two bullets, and one was wasted on your shadow friend. One was more than enough for you, from the looks of things." He raised a hand and my sand swirled to him, condensing into a five inch spike. "It's poetic, I guess, killing you with your own metal." A frown crossed his wrinkled face, "I was never much for poetry." I could only watch as the spike drifted higher, higher, until it was right between my eyes and it hurt to look at it. I braced myself to die again. _I wonder if I can come back a second ti-_ A stream of molten glass rammed into my dad's side. There was a screech and he tore in half, revealing that it was just one of his marionettes.

Man, I really hate those things. Ed followed up his blast with a few rockets before dropping down next to me, wide-eyed at all the blood. "Shit, shit! Don't die on me, you arsehole."

"No promises," I coughed, splattering him with blood. "Didn't know you cared."

He pressed his hands to my chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Of course I care, you bloody idiot. I can't live without my personal punch-bag!" I tried to laugh at that, but it just turned into a really sad sounding cough.

"Check… back. Look… exit wound." Ed nodded and yanked me to a sitting position which made my whole side feel like it was on fire. Red was dancing at the edges of my vision and I coughed up more blood, covering his coat.

"There no exit wound," he said while laying me back down gently. "Please don't tell me I have to do surgery." His face turned green at the prospect.  
>A voice rang out from above us. "You're the last person who I'd let operate on Vince." Andi dropped out of the sky and folded her wings before putting her hand out to Ed. Her hair was pulled back into another ponytail but there was still enough left to frame the curve of her face. I really wanted to reach out and touch her before I died again. "Scalpel," she said with a snap. "Now, please." Ed complied, handing her an emerald green blade. Quickly, she cut in an 'x' motion over the gunshot wound while I mentally cursed my poor excuse for metal skin. <em>Is it bad that I couldn't feel that? I think it's bad.<em>

Andi was leaning over me, breaking her concentration only to brush black locks from her face. "Forceps." Ed handed them over and she quickly began exploring my wound.

"You're a surgeon?" the glass conduit asked while looking away and trying not to retch. Andi didn't even look up from her task.

"I learned as a kid. You ever need a kidney transplant, I'll give you a _killer_ discount." I felt rather than heard the forceps clink against something that was not bone and I gasped for air as she pulled out the bullet. Andi made to throw it away but my hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"No… keep… inside hammer."

"You're insane," she said before dropping the forceps, planting a kiss on my mouth and leaning down onto my chest for a hug. I seriously could not have tasted good considering how much blood I just spat up, but her lips lingered on mine. "Stop almost dying, you idiot." she mumbled into my lips. "I'm trying to be done with nightmares."

With a groan I sat up, feeling the acute ache in my side. I grabbed the 'magic' bullet and shoved it into my hammer before answering her. "Believe me, I'm in no hurry to see Kurt again." When she gave me a questioning look I just waved her away. "I'll talk about it later." Shadows swelled up from the ground and took the form of Raven whose left arm dangled limply at his side.

"Yeah, not to interrupt your precious moment but we're getting our asses kicked." He glanced down at his arm to make a point. "Just to let you know, Vince, your dad is one real bastard."

I staggered to my feet and called Anékdotos into my outstretched hand. "I know, I know. It's not like I chose to be related to him. You alright?" I hobbled over using the warhammer as a crutch and reached out to punch him lightly on his uninjured shoulder. He smiled and waggled his eyebrows back at me.

"I'm fine, dude. I just wasn't expecting that bullet to work on me is all." With a wince he rolled his shoulder and adopted a fighting stance. "Let's get back to it."

"Hell yeah," Ed said, slamming a fist into an open palm. I just rolled my eyes at him before launching myself back into the fray that was taking place hardly twenty yards away. I landed on top of a Faceless, crushing him beneath my now-metal plated feet and swinging Anékdotos into the shield of another. It shattered into dust and I heard bones fragment against the unyielding metal of my hammer, which kinda made me wonder. _Could it be possible that the RFI energy from the bullets is being projected by my hammer? I'll ask Zeke about that later._ I fired a spike made from my sand into the faceless' forehead and immediately spun to fight off another. His whip tangled around the shaft of Anékdotos and he tried to deprive me of my weapon. In the blink of an eye, he was missing his head and my girlfriend was carving into another grunt with her sword. I smiled at her and she grinned back as we began moving in harmony, a deadly duo of blunt force and deadly precision. We actually spun around each other like a dance, and I found it within me to start cracking jokes again.  
>"So, come here often?" I punctuated by swinging Anékdotos upwards and collapsing the ribcage of a faceless. Andi's free hand was encased in a sphere of swirling violet ink and from it she fired bullet-like blasts that punched holes in anything unlucky enough to be in her line of sight. <em>If this was COD she'd get an achievement for so many consecutive headshots.<em>

"The Space Needle? Not as much as you'd think," my ink-conduit shot back with a grin. "I would, but my boyfriend seems to get caught up saving the world and almost dying on me. You have no _idea_ how high maintenance he is." A few swings of her sword and yet another enemy fell.  
>I stuck out a foot and tripped a faceless that was about to razor-whip Jim from behind. Alfie sent me a thankful look before grabbing said faceless and kneeing her in the face. "Hey! I am not high maintenance," I protested while ducking under one of Andi's swings to fire shrapnel at the two faceless that dropped from the sky. One bought it and the other sent some of my metal back at me, which I caught and turned into a rocket that annihilated his right side.<p>

"You are the definition of high maintenance." Andi said, completely deadpan as we fell back to the rest of the group. Despite all our efforts and the amount of people were were taking down we still were being forced to fall back. There were just too many and they kept dropping out of helicopters and rushing out of vans.  
>"Anyone got a brilliant escape plan?" Delsin shouted out above the ruckus. "Because I'm starting to run out of everything!"<p>

"Seconded!" Ash shouted. "There's no water around here and Celia's using up the paper!"

"Don't blame me!" The paper conduit hissed. "I've barely got anything to use around here!" She ducked under a kick and shredded her opponent with a barrage of paper knives.

"The only glass around here is 184 meters up!" Ed yelled just to add to the confusion.

"We can't keep this up for much longer at all," Kristil said, much calmer now. I think all the fighting burned the drugs out of her system. "We're burning way too many calories as it is."

"I've got an idea!" Raven shouted from his place next to Opal. "Everyone drop back, now!" He didn't even wait before leaping forward as a smoky shadow and crashing into the ground, blanketing the GOLIATH troops in the darkness and apparently sucking them into the second dimension with no warning. Raven emerged from the ground after a few seconds with a smile on his face as he flickered back over to and covered us all in a shadowy dome. With a wave of his hands, I felt the ground shift under us, and the shadow conduit dumped us all in the theater. I hit the ground and immediately felt my legs give out, crumpling to the ground. _What the hell? I was fine a few seconds ago._ The not-wound in my left side throbbed with a fresh pain and I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. Andi was by my side in an instant, "Vince?"

"Fuck," was all I managed to say before the pain seared my side and made just breathing difficult.

_You've been shot by an RFI -charged bullet, _Alice said inside my mind. _Did you just think you'd walk that one off?_

_I was hoping, _I thought between gritted teeth. On the screen was the scene we had just left. It was split into eight different camera angles, and from every single one we could see Alice and Coraline chatting idly as more GOLIATH flooded the scene. They surrounded the two of them and assumed offensive positions but didn't attack yet. The closest soldier looked similar to a faceless, but he was wearing bulky armour and the mask on his face had eye-holes… which made it even more creepy than the eyeless ones. He shouted out to them

"Surrender!"

Alice and Cora didn't even seem to notice, they were still talking and I swear that Cora was complaining that she didn't eat enough earlier. _She is,_ Alice replied in my head before turning and giving one of the cameras a creepy smile. It was like she was looking right at me and I would've shivered if I wasn't currently wracked with a horrible fever.

_Seriously, wanna come and help? Dying is not cool. _Alice on the camera just laughed and pulled a book out of her jacket, carefully flipping through the pages.

_You'll be good for another ten minutes don't you worry._

_But it fucking __**hurts**__!_

_Be a man! _She handed the book over to Coraline, who commented. I couldn't quite hear what she said but Alice's reaction was of a stereotype fangirl, she started flapping her hands and shrieked.

_You're a goddamn bitch, you know that?_ I clutched at my chest and resisted the urge to try and rip my skin off.

_My own husband reminds me of that every day. _Truth bomb, dropped. I shut up and went back to just trying to breathe as everyone else huddled around me, concerned. Seriously, I was in a circle of twenty people all trying to help me at once, therefore nothing was accomplished.

After a few more minutes of the two of them fangirling over god knows what and me suffering in excruciating pain, Alice turned to the GOLIATH army that had gathered around her with mock surprise as if she had just noticed them. She said something and I lip-read it as: 'Oh, would you look at that!' The soldiers collectively tensed, gripping their weapons tighter.

Cora nodded to Alice before snapping her fingers and vanished in a flash of green. Some of the weaker soldiers panicked slightly at her sudden disappearance but the rest of them remained calm and vigilant. Alice smirked and slowly brought her hands above her head, apparently surrendering. A charcoal-grey, hard-back book soundlessly floated out of her backpack. The soldiers didn't notice until it was above her head.

And when they fired, it was too late. White rays of light poured out of the book and spun around her like a tornado. The bullets, metal shrapnel and occasional giant metal boulders disintegrated on impact. Even when they threw their special RFI-grenades, there was no effect. The white light brightened until it completely hid Alice and when it reached a blinding magnitude, it vanished as fast as Coraline had.

In Alice's place was someone else. They were equally tall and had equally pale skin— albeit with a more sickly pallor— but their head was so bald and smooth I had to compare it to an egg. But that wasn't the worst of it, no, instead of a nose there were two long slits and his irises burned red like cinders, a snake-like slit pupil inside each. It took me a while to realise that it was a he. And it wasn't until he raised a slender hand with a _wand _held in his fingers that I realised who it was.

_I should'a known she'd do something like this._

Alice had turned into Voldemort. Or rather, she'd summoned Voldemort from a book. I never really read Harry Potter but I'd seen some trailers for the movies. This guy was a straight match. So he started waving the stupid wand around and shouting 'avocado' or something while blasting beams of green light all over the place and completely destroying everyone in his way. Alice showed up next to me, still sporting that creepy-ass grin as she pushed her way through the crowd of people surrounding me to place a book over my chest. "Where does it hurt?"

"Well it kinda hurts over heAAAAAGH!" Light flashed out from the book and the fire intensified for what felt like an eternity before fading away. My scream died in my throat and I just focused on breathing. _In, out. In, out. _Black started creeping in the corners of my vision and yet I managed to stay awake because of my brain's unwillingness to accept the fact that I really should be knocked out right now. Not that I was complaining; passing out was getting old. An attempt at sitting up nearly made me barf until I remembered that I hadn't had any of the delicious food I'd made. "Is it too much to hope that there might be some burgers left?" I asked Alice who just threw her head back and laughed.  
>"Please, Vincent. I'm a Conduit not a miracle worker." All evidence to the contrary, I decided not to press my luck and just laid on the carpeted floor in silence. Knowing me of course, that means about ten seconds before something ridiculous happened. Alice cleared her throat and turned to address everyone in the room. "We need to free Augustine from prison."<p>

Goddammit.

So basically, we all yelled at Alice for about an hour before she got fed up and vanished in a blast of light. Can you blame us, though? She wanted to release _Augustine_, the person who'd locked most of us in a cage and tried to kill the rest… she was responsible for a whole lot of mental scarring.

Oh, did I mention that she turned people into lethal weapons? Yeah, that was a thing too. So you can imagine that absolutely (with the exception of three complete fucking idiots) _no one_ was thrilled with the idea of freeing her from prison.

"Ed I swear to god I'll fucking shank your ass." I said with my arms crossed over my chest. "Actually, I take that back. You'd probably enjoy it."

"Look who's talking!" he shot back. "You didn't come back for _six._ _Hours_."

"I never said I wasn't bi," I countered with a shrug. "Sure, I called you queer, faggot, gayer then Elton John riding a unicorn… but I never said my door didn't swing both ways."

Ed's left eyebrow twitched. I swear he gets those waxed; no one's eyebrows are naturally so _immaculate_. "What was that last one?"

I waved a hand, dismissing his concerns. "You know what, it's not important."

"Yeah, what's _important_ is listening to Alice." He totally changed the subject and now we were back to arguing again.

"It's a bad idea," Andi said from my left. "You three-" meaning Celia, Jace and Ed "-might be able to trust her, hell, she might even trust you. But there's no guarantee that she won't turn on the rest of us as soon as she get out."

"Yeah, the Augustine in my world was a bitch too," Raven said from my right. "Not as much of a bitch, apparently, but still a bitch."

Celia started, "Well, _Alice _who's the most knowledgeable and _powerful_ of us all—"

"I might have something to say about that." Coraline murmured.

"— so I think it would be wise to listen to her."

"Yeah," Jace nodded, "Not to mention Augustine's probably just as strong as Alice."

"I seriously doubt that," I countered with a smirk.

"No, no no." Delsin said as he paced back and forth. His chain jangled and napalm-smoke leaked from his hands in what could've been anxiety but was probably rage. "No, we are _not _letting her out. I lost too much… she killed Reggie, man. I will kick her ass again if I have to. And that's what's gonna happen if she sets a _foot—_"

"You _really _think that you can beat Augustine?" Edward folded his arms with a mock smirk.

"Hell yeah he can," I said, standing up and putting a hand on Delsin's shoulder. "And this time he'll have backup."

"I had less powers when i fought her before," he said, giving me a thankful look while flexing his hands in agitation. "Now, with these Napalm and Wire powers working perfectly, she doesn't stand a chance."

"HAH!" Celia's triumphant voice silenced everyone in the room, "She was _poisoned._"

"Bullshit!" Delsin slammed a fist into the wall and it cracked.

"Wait a second…" I tapped my finger against my chin. "Don't we have those 'golden' bullets? I mean, why fight her when you can just cap her in the back with an RFI-charged .45 Acp?"

"Because she would catch the bullet, and shove it up your arse." Edward scoffed.

"She lost to _me_. A twenty-four year old 'graffiti artist and small-town delinquent' with pretty much no experience."

"Huh, didn't know 'delinquent' was in your vocabulary," Celia said, head tilted as if she was actually intrigued by it.

Fetch had to literally hold Delsin back. I had no such restraint and punched Ed in the face.

Yes, Ed. I know Celia said it but punching Ed was safer by _miles_. Seriously, with the whole Apex thing I hardly stood a chance… plus something about Ed's face was just very punchable.

"Hey!" Jace shouted just as Edward raised his own fist in response. A ring of red light surrounded him and he was holding a glowing ball of Hellfire in each hand, "I think we've fought enough today, especially you two."

"Stupid Himalayan water," I grumbled as I backed off. No point in getting blown to bits _yet_.

"Alright look," Jace began in a calm voice as he doused the light in his hands, "Like Celia said, Augustine was _poisoned _on that day. Victor Tate— your father— planted a poisonous explosive in her APC. She survived but she was suffering hallucinations and a severe power-drain." He paused for a second.

Andi gave me a look and I shrugged. "Told you he was an asshole. To be honest though, I'm kinda impressed he pulled something like that off."

Jace continued, "She believed that _you_," he looked at Delsin, "were working for Tate. And she only lost the fight because she couldn't activate her Apex. If she had, and still believed you were working for GOLIATH… well you wouldn't be standing here today. Victor Tate had set it all up, played us like fools and we were—"

"That sounds about right." I interrupted with a mutter. "Oh, by the way, I need someone else to kill him for me. Just remembered his powers completely overwhelm mine and shit, so if anyone wants to help me out here that'd be great."

Jace looked at me in disapproval. I guess he doesn't like being interrupted, "Augustine's power is beyond almost everyone standing here," he nodded in the direction of Coraline, accepting her as the exception. She's barely talked since… wait when did she get back? "Having her here, in the fight against Kessler, Tate and DARPA is pretty much obligatory."

"Wait, DARPA's still a thing?"

Ed shook his head as if I had just gotten 2+2 wrong, "Of _course _it's still a thing. Which rock have _you _been living under?"

"All of them, apparently," I said with a sigh. "This blows. We don't even have MacGrath to clean the goons up anymore… say, whatever happened to him anyways? I mean, I read up to the point where he nuked the Beast, but that's as far as I got."

Silence. Everyone looked at each other to see if they knew anything. Finally, Coraline decided to speak up.

"Alice intended to save every Conduit on that day. She tried to save Cole MacGrath but he was already dead. Like Nix however, Alice says she can still feel his essence, so for all we know, there's a _chance _he's still alive. But there's no point in wishing for stray angels to come save us." The entire time she spoke with that soft, strange voice of hers; she made no eye contact, instead she inspected her green nails. The word 'angels' just made me think of Eugene… bad timing, I know. Delsin had a similar reaction, looking away and shoving his hands in the pocket of his hoodie.

"You know what?" he said, refusing to face any of us. "Do whatever you want. I don't give a shit anymore." He vanished in a non-directional cloud of napalm-smoke and Fetch sighed.

"I'll go after him."

_You most certainly will not. _AbsentAlice's voice rang in all of our heads. _For the love of Chaucer, Abigail Walker… you are pregnant. Delsin needs time to himself and he will come back eventually, but I will not have you risking the safety of yourself and your unborn child to chase after a man acting like a stubborn teenager._

_I resemble that remark, _I thought wryly at the telepath and was rewarded with a chuckle for my efforts.

And to top it all off, a penguin chose to stroll in. I just glared at it and reached for my hammer. Another penguin followed. This one looked at all of us then _sighed and shook its head_, before taking its place next to the other. _I wonder if this is it? I've finally gone insane. I'm absolutely, one hundred percent, bat-shit crazy._ "Anyone else see those penguins?" I asked.

"HI!" Coraline squealed and rushed up to the penguins before kneeling down and promptly pulling the two of them into a tight hug. Penguin #1 squawked in protest but Penguin #2 simply seemed fed up and looked over the green-conduit's shoulder, mirroring my glare. "I've been missing you two like crazy. I thought I was going insane!" She released them and smiled creepily before teleporting back to her seat and resuming the inspection of her nails. As if nothing had happened.

"I'm never doing acid ever again," I mumbled, closing my eyes and taking a seat, rubbing my temples. Andi leaned into me and I could practically see her smile.  
>"I see them too, if it helps."<p>

"You've dropped more tabs than I have," I pointed out.

"That probably explains why I can see a polar bear too." I didn't even bother opening my eyes. I just leaned into Andi's warm hug, determined to ride out the trip.

"OH MY GOD, IS THAT VINCENT LUCIAN TATE?!" A new voice screeched and I winced as my eardrums died a painful death. I opened my right eye a crack to see a girl who looked about my age. Her skin was whiter than both Alice's or Kuo's and her hair was a pale blue. Frost gathered on her cheekbones and the skin on her forehead was almost purple. Her pupils are what caught my attention. They were pure white and shaped like snowflakes. By all rights, she shouldn't be able to see, but she was looking directly at me and was fanning herself with her hands as if she was my biggest fan. "I AM YOUR _BIGGEST _FAN!"

"Please kill me." I whispered.

A flurry of snow rushed towards me and materialised into the Elsa-ripoff who thrust a sharpie towards my face.

"CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!" Her voice was the perfect example of a fangirl and I resisted the urge to jump out a window. It was also heavily accented with russian which for some reason made me think of Vladimir Putin. Which destroyed my mind.

"Raven get me out of here." The shadow teen stayed silent, but I could feel him shaking with laughter.

"SIGN MY ELBOW!"

"Whatever I've done to deserve this," I said, turning my face towards the heavens, "I'm sorry. I swear I'll buy all your albums and not just listen to Smells like Teen Spirit and Heart-Shaped Box."

She was on her knees now, practically poking my eyes out with her sharpie. It was really, I dunno, _disconcerting_ as my eyes changed rapidly from metal to flesh and back.

"Fine." I muttered, opening my eyes.

"THANK YOU, SENPAI!"

Well, after that line I noped the fuck out of there. I mean, Raven and Andi are one thing… but seriously? I'm not ready to deal with a russian/japanese fangirl… I'll take on my dad any day of the week before I face that combo of fucked up and crazy.

Everyone single paparazzi that was hanging around outside the mansion was treated to the sight of me flying through the sky surrounded by grains of black sand only to be snatched by a giant, white claw and dragged back inside the house.

"_SIGN THE ELBOW, NOW!" _I noticedher once-white snowflake-pupils turned black, as I landed in the middle of the largest living room.

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs while shivering as the cold easily penetrated my thin jacket.

"_I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!"_

"IF I NOTICE YOU WILL YOU QUIT TRYING TO MAKE ME SIGN YOUR BODY?!"

"_Sign the fucking elbow or I'll kill everyone you love." _She whispered in reply. I've met some insane people in and since I broke out of Curdun Cay. This one took the cake. Of course, being me, I went ahead and put my foot in my mouth.

"Actually, I'm in pretty good with Death. I'm sure he'll let some of my loved ones come back to life if I ask nicely."

"WHY SENPAI? WHY?" She fell to her knees and all the snow and frost that had gathered in the room faded away.

"Fine…" I mumbled as I gently took the sharpie from her hands and signed her _elbow_, of all places. "But hero worship isn't healthy for you."

She fainted.

I quit.

… and woke up in my bed with a gasp. "Okay, tell me that was a dream."

"Well, actually, you did get tabbed out." Raven said from my left as he shifted back into 3D. "You just stared at the wall and mumbled something about elbows."

"Oh." I rubbed my forehead and sighed. "Where'd we get that acid from anyways?"

"I picked it up," Andi said from my right, as she snuggled closer into my chest. "I _told_ you not to take any but no, you decided to take a heroic dose and just stare at the wall for three hours."

"Well that's just ridiculous," the talking polar bear said from the corner of the room.

I woke up again back in the theater. Apparently I just dozed off after Delsin left. I tried to make it look like I was paying attention and stuff, sitting up straighter and rapidly blinking the sleep from my eyes. Alice just gave me the weirdest look and mumbled something about my dreams being 'unreasonably accurate'. Andi was slumped against my shoulder, out for the count and snoring softly, so I took the opportunity to lay my head on top of hers. Alice shook a wand at me and I resisted the urge to shout 'abracadabra'.

"Don't doze off, Vincent. You have a say in this decision, you know."

"Not really. You're all just gonna argue back and forth but since you're so damn powerful we'll basically go along with whatever you say and I'll go because I don't wanna sit around doing nothing and Andi will go most likely with the intent to kill Augustine and you should probably keep her away from that concrete bitch because if she's as strong as you say Andi might get hurt, and that's the last thing in the world I want."

"That's the most intelligent thing I've heard you say all day." I gave Celia a mild glare, but my eyelids started drooping again… apparently getting shot takes a lot out of you. I drifted off into what would hopefully be a dreamless sleep.

I don't think I could handle any more talking bears.


	24. Chapter 24: Cosmic Bullshit

I woke up to the worst feeling. I could swear that someone was poking me in the ribs with a metal stick… opening my eyes revealed, in fact, there was a metal stick lodged in-between my ribs. Some huge guy wearing a white trenchcoat complete with a shadowing hood was poking me with said stick, wearing a bored look on his face.  
>"I knew a Conduit who had the power to manipulate sleep, and even <em>he <em>didn't sleep this much. I'm under the impression that I don't have much time, so I'm going to be a bit hasty. Your little friend, Crow-"

"Raven," I corrected.

"Raven, Crow, Pigeon, Robin... I don't care." He thumbed a silver pocket-watch in his hand, "He forfeited his ability to manipulate light, to bring me forward in time. I have come from the year 1945… I've been told that it's 2018 now. So considering I was born in 1900, I'm technically 118 years old." I swatted the stick away only to put an amused expression on the man's face. His blue eyes flashed as he ran a hand over his long black hair. From the sleek strands that fell far past his shoulders, I guessed that his hair was at least three feet long. But it was those glowing blue eyes that made me feel paranoid, it was like they saw right through me. "And you?"

"From the year 1998. Vince." Time travel, really? I mean it's like I try not to fuck wit' that cosmic shit but it just happens to me.

"Kessler." He waited for a reaction and I just stared back. "Hmph. Adalheidis— you know her as 'Alice'— said you might try to kill me. With all honesty, I was _quite_ looking forward to it."

A shrug was his answer. "Nah. You're the WWII Kessler so we good for now." He just stared at me for a little bit, then started again.

"You have hidden potential. To be exact, the potential to reach a C.M. level of 7, equivalent to that of my descendant, Cole MacGrath. You might not fully understand me at the present time, but I'm not at the liberty to discuss it with you… not yet, at least. That potential was unlocked since the day you discovered your powers. You just have to dig deep within yourself and find it." His brit accent was just even more infuriating.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "You sound like a fucking hallmark card." He laughed and sat forward in his chair.

"Ah, if only I knew what that was. You see, as 'Kessler', I have certain gifts—" a hand was waved to forestall my question, "don't ask, long story; I can see every power a Conduit can have, among other things."

"So are you gonna tell me what my power is?"

Blue eyes were rolled in my direction. "From my brief time here, I learnt a phrase I found quite amusing. I think it'll suit this situation... 'Hell no!' That would make it easy. And with ease comes a lack of discipline." He glanced at a pocket watch and sighed, "Time's up." He was gone without a sound, along with the chair and the metal rod. I dismissed this as some dream bullshit and went back to sleep. Sometime during the night I ended up in bed with Andi. The only thing that roused me from my slumber was an insatiable hunger, so I grabbed my wallet and phone before heading downstairs. Along the way I heard some piano playing and peeked into a room, where lo and behold, Ash and the Scott were sucking face. As an enterprising businessman I raised my phone and snapped a photo to sell to Celia later.

The loudest shutter sound in history went off and the two jumped backwards. I froze, phone still in the air, a shit-eating grin on my face. "Ed, how much do you think Celia will pay for this picture?"

"You can't spend money if you're dead," he growled. I sighed and slipped my phone into my pocket, fanning myself with one hand.

"Eddie, _darling_. And here I was just thinking that Ravey and I could get together and have a foursome with you two. Oh, how dreams die unfulfilled."

Ed gave me a mix between a confused look and a straight face. "I can't tell if you're serious or joking." I watched a shudder run down his spine, "And that terrifies me."  
>"Pfft. Dude, you're way too bulky. I'm not into that. I like my guys soft and cute, like Ravey with his button nose and pinchable butt…" I would've drifted off into a reverie but Ed flicked some glass at me in annoyance.<br>"That got weird… I don't ever want to know your types." I just shrugged and moved away, leaving the two to do whatever. Well, actually the one, because after I snapped that picture Ash had left the room in a flurry of paper. I kinda just surfed out of the house on some sand, soaring into the sky in search of some late-night burgers. Thankfully, the five guys was open and I ordered like, ten burgers plus fries and three shakes. Exiting the building, I bumped into someone… or something.

"What the hell? Grrr, watch where you walk, human." A fucking polar bear. I bumped into a talking polar bear. Well, the universe had already thrown me a guy from the past plus a crazy Elsa look-alike who wanted me to sign her elbow… fuck it, why not. I'd pretend this polar bear was real.

"Isn't it a little hot up here? I mean, you being from the antarctic and all." I sat down at an outside table and began methodically devouring my food, waiting for an answer.

"I….what?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "What did you just say? Antarctic?"

"You're a polar bear. I'm sitting here talking to a motherfucking polar bear," I observed like it was completely and utterly normal. "Wouldn't it be hot up here for you?"

The polar bear said nothing and instead stalked over to where I was sitting. He stood over me for a minute or two before standing on his back legs, rose an arm and slammed it down onto the table, destroying not just that...but a part of the ground under it with a loud growl. I jerked back, or was knocked back maybe, from the out of nowhere violent action. My chair tipped over as my back hit the ground.

"I...am not...a damned..._polar bear!_ I am a _spirit bear_ you sack of meat! This is exactly why I can't stand other humans! You all keep calling me the same damn thing! "

I rolled my eyes. "Well how was I supposed to know? You look similar…"

"Maybe if you used your common sense!? Why the hell would a polar bear not be in the arctic!?"

"Why the hell would a Spirit Bear not be back in the Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands along the rainforest coast of British Columbia?" Yeah, I know stuff. Science, bitch!

The bear rose an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "Hmm. Didn't know that anyone would even... not even my friend Ryle knows about that kind of information."

"I watched a documentary on you guys once. They wouldn't specify where on the islands, though." I finished my fourth burger and was nursing the second shake. "You know technically you're endangered…"

"Oh no. You have it backwards. People are endangered by me. Also stop eating while you speak to me, dammit!"

I swallowed and rolled my eyes again, pushing away the rest of the food. "Sorry, bad habit. So, what are you doing down here? And by any chance do you know a Russian/Japanese fangirl who looks a hell of a lot like Elsa? Also, have you seen two penguins around lately?" I was honestly trying to trigger other illusions at this point. Why trip if you're not having fun, right?

"I...wha-.."his eyes slowly widened before he went back to his four paws and rushed into my face. "_What_ did you just ask me?"

" Have you seen: one Russian/Japanese fangirl, dead ringer for Elsa. Two penguins, and actually a talking polar bear. I think the polar bear was female." I wolfed down another burger and raised an eyebrow at the spirit bear.

"K-Kayn and Kanisha!? Y-you mean they're here!? They're both here!?" He grabbed me with both of his forepaws and lifted me into the air effortlessly. He began to shake me with such fierceness that I might throw up the lunch that I just ate. "Where the hell are they now!?"

"Well, I was sleeping when I saw them but apparently my dreams are now prophetic. Follow me, noble Ursus americanus kermodei, and together we shall find your… whoever the fuck they are to you." I pointed a finger in the air drunkenly, still a bit dizzy. "But really, can you put me down?"

He stopped with the shaking and placed me back on my feet...pretty clumsily though. Apparently whatever mood he was in wasn't going away anytime soon.

"First of all...don't address me as that again. My name is Dekker. Dekker Alabaster King. And second...those two are...they're very important people to me and my friends is all."

I rubbed my forehead. "Damn, I was joking about the prophet thing but it's actually a possibility now… Well, Dekker, I think we need to take a little vacation and steal a-" I patted myself down and found what I was looking for in my pocket. "Nevermind then." It was the book Alice had used to heal me, she left it lying around and I jumped at the chance to 'borrow' it. I flipped through pages and found a page labeled 'locator'. I'll be damned if everything wasn't falling into place like a poorly-written story hosted on an internet page for fan fictions. "Got anything of theirs?"

"I...um.." he looked down in a grumpy manner. "You mean I need a possession of theirs to find them?"

"Nope… I think even your memories would work, or a lock of hair, or something. I dunno dude," I gave him a shrug, "I'm pretty much fuckin' winging it at this point. But fear not, the universe will deliver up some cosmic bullshit that lets you find them. Here, stick your face in this book." Without waiting for a response, I shoved the book into his face. It flashed blue, and started glowing with a gentle white. As the book seem to have finished doing its job I took it from his face. It glowed brighter when I turned around, and the glow increased as I walked in that direction. I turned back to look at the stunned bear with the most sane grin I could muster.

"See? Cosmic bullshit always delivers."

His stunned expression slowly became a blank one. He stared at me for a total of 11 seconds. Weird number. "You….you're such an amazing dumbass, you know that right? Just like someone else that I've taken the liberty to get to know."

I just shrugged and called up a platform of black sand. "Hop on, we're going on an adventure. Fair warning though: you start singing 'A whole new world' and I kick your ass off."

Dekker gave me another stare before he glanced down to the floating sand. He gave a growl of...what I'm guessing was probably irritation, before getting on. "If _you_ start singing I'm going to do very painful things to you I can't describe. If you kick me off then….I'll let you see for yourself what would happen if you do. So _please_...I'm literally asking you to try."

I frowned at him. "You're not very appreciative for the guy who's helping you find your mate."

"I never said anything about that." He said. I smirked.

"Dude, it's obvious to see. You were pretty thirsty about knowing where that girl and her bear was."

And with that, we lurched off the ground and whizzed across the city, following the ever brighter book. Unfortunately when you invoke the power of 'cosmic bullshit' it involves some serious 'bullshit' so we had to make hairpin turns, barrel rolls, corkscrews and loop-de-loops. At the end of it though, we were floating in front of a high rise balcony and struggling to keep down our lunch, dinner… whatever.

Dekker nearly lurched but managed to keep down his cookies. "Why...the hell...what was all that for!? Have you lost your damn mind!?"

"You have to follow the rules the author puts in, man. Don't fight the system."

He growls again. Seriously, does this guy not know anything else besides growling and yelling?

"I've fought the system most of my life."

"But the author, bro." I pointed at the book in my hand. "Besides… did you not notice that there's totally a polar bear sleeping inside that condo? Like… she's right there. I can see her. It's actually quite hard to miss." And there was a polar bear sleeping in front of the couch, where the russian Elsa rested with two penguins. This was one hell of an acid trip._ It'd probably make a really good book someday._

Dekker blinked before he hopped onto the balcony, surprisingly landing without as much as a quiet thud. Pretty impressive for an animal of his size. He was even bigger than the polar bear. He walked forward a bit and placed a paw on the glass window.

"It's….it's them. Kaynat...the penguins...and my," he sighed lowly, "my lovely Kanisha. Oh how I've missed her." He lightly tapped on the glass hoping to get their attention.

"You _are _talkin' 'bout the bear, right? I mean…" I just shrugged and put the book back into my pocket. He stopped tapping to turn to me. He didn't say a word but his eyes were saying more than enough. Looked like he was calling me a dumbass again from the expression I was reading. With another shrug I just opened the sliding door with a flick of my hand, cupped my hands around my mouth, and screamed. "HOLY SHIT! A TALKING POLAR BEAR!"

Just like that Dekker rounded on me. The same moment all the people...well..the _person_ and the animals in the room were startled from their comfort.

"YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"This is all just an acid trip anyways, none of it really matters." I gave him a casual shrug. "I'm sure I just scared the shit out of someone though. Plus, Kanisha _is_ a talking polar bear, right?"

In the next few moments Dekker's face was rapidly switching between a mix of emotions. Luckily it was a repeating pattern so I was able to catch some of it. In order I got...anger, confusion, disbelief, skepticism, I think anger again and...now I couldn't actually give a word for the last one. I think he mixed 5 emotions into one, which was pretty awesome in it's own way.

"No! She does not _talk_ you dumbass! She's a regular...she-oh my god…" Now I just_ had_ to be hallucinating on epic proportions. Because all of a sudden it seemed as if the spirit bear was...glowing? Well his body was outlined in red but pretty soon that outline became some sort of pillar of red and it gave off some heat. I didn't know what to make of it but it's not as if I had the chance too before a punch was sent right into my chest. Avery _hard_ punch that probably would've caved in my chest had my iron sand not sprung up to protect me. Unfortunately, that also meant that I was not hallucinating. _What. The. Fuck._

"What this!?" Screamed the Elsa look-alike. Her and her little _real_ pets were standing up in startled positions looking towards us.

"I don't fucking know, I thought this was an acid trip!" I shouted back before facepalming, hard. "I mean, come _on_! EVERYONE KNOWS SPIRIT BEARS DON'T TALK!"

"I was EXPERIMENTED on, you BITCH! So yes! I fucking TALK!" He sent another punch my way. The same thing happened as before. My iron sand protected me from the no doubt fatal injury he would've given me. But it still _hurt_! What the hell kind of power is that anyway!? Dekker turned to her and slightly bowed his head to lil' Elsa. "Sorry Kayn, for saying such things."

The hell was he apologizing to her for?

"I don't…" I sighed and rubbed my forehead, "Sorry, Kayn, Kanisha. Mind if we come inside?"

Kanisha was too busy growling at me for the whole scream thing that I had just done moments prior but she seemed to calm down when she looked to Dekker. That weird red energy slowly died down when he did the same. Kayn sighed as she rubbed her temples and turned, gesturing to us with her hand. I jumped and floated into the house, crashing onto the couch and sighing in pleasure. "Soft couch."

"Vincent Tate? Why're you here?" Her 'r's were so thick, I could probably cut them with a knife.

"Well, one, how the fuck do you know my name, you were a dream. Two, Dekker bumped into me outside a five guys and I helped him find you because I thought it would be fun to ride the trip out. Three, you look exactly like Elsa and it's kinda cute." My eyes were closed and I kinda wanted that shake I left behind.

Kayn seemed to be a bit confused by my statements. "I'm no dream. Real person. I know you… nice lady from Wonderland tell me." Man, this chick had some really fucked up English. Add that with her accent and she sounds weird as hell. Can't deny she's cute though.

"I dunno, you kinda look like an angel from my dreams," I mumbled, sleep overtaking me. "_Are_ you my guardian angel? Cause if so I'd like to file a hella long list of complaints… starting around when my dad first started kicking the shit outta me."

"No angel," she looks to Dekker, "And...the others? The crazies, they're coming here?"

Dekker shook his head. "I went on ahead of them. Might be a bit of time before my comrades arrive too."

I shrugged. "If we're squared away here… do you mind me asking who you are? I mean, King said your name but other than my dream I have no idea what you're capable of… do you really have ice powers?"

She kinda shrugged at me. "I use the Snow."

"You are Elsa, I fucking knew it." I cracked an eye and stretched a hand out toward the fridge, with the door swinging open and a can of beer floating into my hand. I cracked it open and nursed it gently, taking a long pull. "Do you burst into songs randomly too?"

She gave me a bit of an agitated expression at the comment. "Not funny. Stop saying 'Elsa'."

"You can't be Elsa," I reasoned with the woman, "She's Norwegian, not Russian… Does that make you Natasha Romanoff in disguise?"

This time the bear with the temper problems spoke up. Kanisha and he were lying down comfortably next to each other. "Do you _ever_ stop talking? It's as if the only things you say are nothing but bullshit."

"Bullshit boy." Elsa muttered under her breath.

"Well, my nigga, I'm not used to fuckin' wit talking bears and magic books an' shit." I took another pull on the beer and sighed; it sure wasn't a Guinness.

Dekker gave somewhat of a grimace before he buried his face into his paws. "Ugh. You even sound like _those two_. It's too much for my liking."

Yeah, I wasn't responding to that comment. But I wish that he'd stop comparing me to these random people he keeps talking about. I turn my attention back to Kayn.

"_Why_ do you even have bud light? It's garbage." With a flick of my wrist the beer sailed out across the patio and dropped off the highrise.

"_Why_ you still here?" Kayn asked, approaching me.

"I dunno. I'm bored. Entertain me, tell me a bedtime story, sing me a lullaby. I'll fuckin' kill a fool on the mic before I say goodnight."

"Stop… SWEARING!" Her cheeks went a deep shade of violet and she got up close into my face.

"Yo chill, no chill. If you don't check yo'self you're gonna spill… over, no do overs, heading into the unknown completely blown forever."

She kneed me. In. The. Crown-jewels. Then followed up with another knee to the stomach which left me in dispute about whether I should be clenching groin or abdomen. An uppercut left me on the floor, spread-eagled in the most undignified manner. She's fast. And _hurtful_. I felt like whining.

"Good lullaby?" She asked in her thick Russian accent as she leaned down. As if the small ass-kicking I just got wasn't enough, that dumb spirit bear was chuckling over my obvious pain.

"Heh. I missed ya' Kaynat. Much nicer than what I would'a done."

"_Hijō ni sugureta komori-uta_, but kindly go fuck yourself." I replied while the agony down there faded. People just seemed to like punching me. Also, shout-out to Andi for strapping me to a chair and forcing me to learn Japanese. Girlfriend of the the year, 2015. Wait, no, 2014? 16? Dunno, it was a long time ago. She did some freaky torture type shit where I was bombarded with some flashing lights and sounds playing at a low drone in the background while my eyes were forcibly held open.

Needless to say I passed that class with an A+.

_**What do you think you're playing at, Vincent?**_Alice's voice reverberated in my head, she sounded angry and it… _hurt_.

_Nani mo arimasen… But if you could get off my jock that'd be great._

_**You've been missing for too long. You stole one of my books, as if I didn't notice. Did you know that's the same book I use for nuclear explosions?**_

_Watashi wa tsukarete yotteda to watashi wa watashi ga torippu shi teru to omoimasu._

_**VINCENT! I will DISINTEGRATE you. Get here NOW!**_

"I think it'd be best if you left us." Dekker's voice pulled me out of my telepathic… well it's not exactly the normal definition of a 'conversation'. He gave a big yawn, showing some pretty insane teeth. By 'insane' I mean, oversized and sharp to the point where I thought he could rip a dude's arm right off. Thank God, he's only been punching me so far. Which...really wouldn't be much better now that I think about it, without my iron sand. "We have some catching up to do..._without_ you being here." He was now wrapped around most of Kanisha's body in a protective fashion. Both of their heads were near the other's and the (actual) polar bear's eyes were closed. I can _probably_ guess what he meant by 'catching up'. With a sigh I hopped off the couch, snapped Kayn a two finger salute, made sure Alice's book was safely in my pockets, and jumped out the sliding door, letting the sand carry me up into the night sky. _Why so rude, Alice-kun? You left the book with me, after all._

_Vincent, just get the damn book back here, alright? I'm not in the mood to deal with shit right now. Leave it with Kessler, and for the love of god don't you dare open that book again. _

"Vincent." I turned to see Kessler with his arms folded, one hand outstretched. "Book." I sighed and lobbed it at him. He caught it and neatly stowed it in his trenchcoat, turning on his heel and starting to emit a faint glow. "Follow me." He slowly began levitating and I called up a cloud of sand to follow after him. He glowed slightly as he arced through the air, and I wondered what that was all about as I flew alongside him. "Well, you're lucky that Seattle is still around after the stunt you just pulled."

I shrugged and rolled my eyes. "Don't sweat. I'm pretty sure I used up my luck just not flipping to the page and letting out whatever other demons she's got trapped in there." A dry chuckle sounded from the british man who turned to look right through me.

"You have no idea, do you? Ah, well." He banked to the left sharply, and I followed him, noting that we were heading away from the mansion at this point. "We're not going back," he said. "Alice wants me to train you so it seems I'm obligated to do that. I'm here for much longer than she originally told me so we might as well make use of it."

"I don't have the best experience with training," I admitted, ignoring the blocked memories. "Seriously, can we just smoke a blunt or something instead?"

"I think the last thing you need, young man, is more drugs. You're inebriated enough." Boring. I let out a yawn and his eyes glinted sternly at me. I shut up and focused on flying, not wanting to piss him off or anything. He was a Kessler, after all, and that meant I'd straight get my ass handed to me if I tried anything.

We came down on a small, heavily wooded island and Kessler flicked his wrists outwards, twirling his hands. "I just sealed off this island, Vincent. You're not leaving until you discover the power hidden inside you." I winced as his hands started glowing, unreasonably bright.

"So I get the feelin' that we won't be doing much talking, will we?"

"No. But you may be screaming."

Well I did scream, a lot. Blasts of fire streaked past my head, nearly singeing me as I fired rocket after rocket in his direction. Nothing hit him… then again I don't know what I was expecting. Like, this is some serious Deus ex Machina bullshit going down. The trees on the island were leveled, nothing but bare rock now. My reserves of metal were almost completely exhausted; I'd taken to reabsorbing what I shot out, and if I didn't get more soon I'd have to tap into my reserves of gold and other things.

It'd been three days. Yeah, I fought this crazy bastard for three days and didn't die… which means I'd definitely used up my luck into the next _two _centuries. A fire tornado whizzed my way and I met it with one made from my black sand, resulting in an explosion of molten metal, burning orange droplets arcing towards my skin.

See the thing is, I can't make molten metal. By extension, I've never been able to control it, either, so I was expecting to rely on my black sand to protect me. It nearly did, but one drop managed to fall onto my skin.

A power rushed through me and I snapped my right hand forward, losing a stream of molten metal that split into whip-thin streams and slashed through the air at Kessler. Of course, not a single one of them hit but still, _holy shit I was bending lava. _Yep. He raised a hand to forestall any of my further attacks. "Good job…" a smile that could only be described as cheeky came over his face, "Now have fun figuring out how to use that without a catalyst." He wavered in the air, turning transparent before fading away entirely. I groaned and flopped onto the ground, feeling the exhaustion deep in my bones.

"Cheeky cunt," I whispered to the cloudy skies. I swear I saw a cloud float by that resembled a middle finger. I shot a blast of sand up at it, accomplishing absolutely nothing except exhausting myself further. I closed my eyes and waited for someone to come and find me. It couldn't have been that hard, what with all the damn explosions going on. The small island looked like it had suffered a nuclear war, which to be honest it probably had. Kessler had some form of control over radiation, which meant that I'd probably have cancer if I were human… that in mind, I called up my reserves of lead and spread them over the decimated hunk of rock and sand, sealing it off in a barrier of lead, then steel to prevent the lead from screwing with the environment. And that was it; I was one hundred percent done. I had nothing left to give… hell, it looked like I was walkin' back.

And then my angel came out of the sky. No, not Eugene. He's dead, you know that. Andi, who I had _not _been spending nearly enough time with despite us being 'together'. Honestly this whole saving the world thing was starting to piss me off to no end. Why couldn't the DUP just be the end of it? Why was all this convoluted bullshit with my dad and the Kesslers… I just wanna live out the rest of my days in peace, you know? Fighting gets old quick.

"You've got that look," my angel said with a grin as she sad down next to me and her wings dissolved. "The infamous 'I'm absolutely fucking done with this' look. What's up?"

"Why do I need to get stronger?" I asked. "Once we kill Kessler and my dad, we're pretty much gonna be gods. I can bend any kinda metal and you control _color_, for god's sake. I don't even want to think about Delsin and Ash… hell, Alice is already a god. She trapped a nuclear explosion in a book. Who does that?"

"She does," Andi said with a laugh as she laid down next to me on the metal dome. "I think you finally get how I used to feel, that ultimate sense of futility hanging over everything you do. Why bother fighting when it's just you? Why bother running when there are spies everywhere? Why bother hiding when the devil personified is coming after you?" She slugged me in the arm and I winced. Where was my metal skin for that, huh? "You do it anyways, because you can. You keep fighting. As soon as you stop, they win, so you have to keep fighting."

"Thanks, Eisenhower," I said with a grin. That earned me a punch in the stomach, my skin failing to turn to metal once again.

"Careful," she teased me. "One of these days I'm going to have to beat you up for going too far."

"I slept with a dude," I pointed out with a laugh. "_Pretty _sure that was too far." The angel just quirked her eyebrow at me and pulled me up into her arms, bridal style, launching into the air and spreading her violet wings to catch an updraft. Ahh, the joys of having a conduit girlfriend.

May you all be so blessed.

* * *

><p>So I know I said this would be wrapping up soon but I got a few more chapters than intended in the works... I'm gonna have to cut around some stuff and trim the metaphorical fat from this story. Stay real,<p>

~Kole (Zeta)


	25. Chapter 25: Alcatraz

"Soo, Alice… what's on the cosmic bullshit schedule today?" I asked as I strolled through the house. It'd been a few days since Kessler left. I heard that he was training Ash but otherwise not much happened.

"Nothing, and hopefully it'll stay that way." She was still a little salty that I had stolen the book that contained nuclear explosions. Hell, I was salty. I probably could've killed Kessler with that thing but instead I was sitting in a kitchen watching a bibliokinetic eat cereal. Fuck me, right?

"Yeah, for some reason I don't believe that." I lazily sent out a tendril of metal to grab me a whole box of poptarts that I began systematically devouring. "What's really up?"

"Nothing yet, but Ash and Edward are out on a date." I rolled my eyes as she looked up at me. "It's not idle gossip, Vincent. Those two are magnets for trouble, and leaving them unsupervised will probably be a mistake."

"Sure, spy on them then. Like I didn't have enough of that with Abstergo." I tossed an empty wrapper away and started on the next two tarts. I don't think conduits need to eat balanced food… I usually just eat whatever tastes good.

"You should count yourself lucky that organization is no longer around." She smiled creepily, "I enjoyed using my book to blow up their central hq."

"Oh, you nuked them? Wow." Something soft mashed up against my back and a head rested up against mine.

"Morning," Andi said with a smile I could feel. "I see you're still eating like a six year old."

"It's the food of the gods," I protested in futility as my girlfriend removed the pop-tarts from my grasp and put them in the cupboard, tossing me an apple instead. I chowed down and decided not to argue, she was in a really good mood today. Plus, I was enjoying her new haircut.

Yep. She'd dragged me to a salon and I had to sit there for an hour while resisting the urge to blow the damn place up just for something to do. My phone could only amuse me for so long before I got all twitchy… after three days of fighting for your life, sitting around doesn't keep your attention for long.

Her hair was now just shorter than shoulder length, and it was all curly instead of just straight. Remember Scarlett Johansson in the first avengers movie? Yeah, it was cut like that, except it was violet with streaks of blue instead of red. I'd gotten my cut done in the first three minutes: a simple buzz, leaving my hair at about half an inch long.

That was a damn good movie. Anyways, I didn't get to make more snarky comments because Alice banged her head against the table hard enough to crack the granite. I winced and tugged on the collar of my shirt… that had to hurt like a bitch. "Dear god they're fighting GOLIATH. It's like I can't get a break," the woman mumbled as she got up. "Rally the troops, Vincent, Andi. We're going to war."

"Should I wear my fatigues?" Two icy cold glares in my direction signified that I had given the wrong answer, so I slunk off to go get dressed, grumbling about the unfairness of life. Some people can't take jokes, you know?

I ended up stealing one of Delsin's many vests to match my usual black jeans and Jordans.

Oh hell yeah, I bought Jordans. Just in case fools wanna mess around and get dunked on in the name of conduit-kind. Anyways, they were yellow and black, so Delsin loaned me his DUP vest to match. It was spraypainted yellow across the front and Andi had edited the back so a bright purple chinese dragon was choking the life out of the standard white DUP dove while a silver wolf clawed at it from below, forming an almost yin-yang with the dove in the middle. It looked hella sick. I'd even put on a white beanie and had a chain wrapped around my wrist instead of my hammer… _I'd pass for an okay Delsin_, I thought to myself as we leapt across the rooftops.

"You look a little too much like me," the smoke conduit said with a raised eyebrow as we got closer to the sounds of explosions. "Wanna sub out next time Fetch starts getting weird cravings?"

"Ha… nope." I patted him on the shoulder and grinned, "You're on your own pal. If the lady demands artichokes at three in the morning, you'd better find some damned artichokes. Also you're not getting the vest back. It's my new look."

"Damn," the man said with an eye roll as he opened fire on some GOLIATH goons that came into view. A huge cinder rocket all but obliterated a group of four, leaving them down for the count as I fired off a sand rocket, crushing even more. "I really loved wearing the jacket made by the people who tried to kill me."  
>"You'd better have," Celia said sweetly. "<em>I <em>made that for you, smoke boy." Delsin just chuckled nervously as the femme fatale unleashed a barrage of paper bits so sharp they drew blood.

"Oh man," Delsin muttered as Celia dashed away. "I don't care how many powers I get, she's still scary."

"You think that's scary?" I pointed to Andi, who'd gotten her finished hidden blades from Zeke after what had felt like an eternity. She wasn't even bothering to use her powers for offense, just gliding around the battlefield and dealing out death with a blow that seemed almost gentle. "I just slept with _her_. You sleep with a girl that shoots lasers out of her hands, eyes and presumably other places. I noticed that late at night when everyone else is trying to sleep, the house lights up like a goddamn disco… sometimes five times in one night."

"We really don't have any self-preservation instincts," Delsin agreed with a wry grin as he neatly dodged my not-so hidden inquiry about his and Fetch's nighttime activities. "But you have to admit… girls who can fight are totally hot."

I nodded as I whipped my chain around in a flurry of destruction, knocking the fuck out of anyone dumb enough to get close. "Big time."

"This is why liking guys is easier," Ed interrupted with a snort as he discharged some molten glass that entombed several soldiers. "We understand each other. No hidden meanings, no 'yes is no', no mood swings every month."

"Am bi, can confirm," I said with a laugh as we spun around each other, taking potshots at anything that wore the standard GOLIATH white and orange. "Still, you forgot to mention that guys don't have tits."

"Definitely a plus," Delsin said with a grin as his whip lashed back and forth, hitting GOLIATH soldier with explosive bursts of smoke. He teleported, presumably using napalm, and knocked them all out with blasts of the viscous liquid.

"Pillowy clouds of softness," I added with a grin as a soldier met his death at the hands of my chain. "Dude, everyone likes boobs, even gay people."  
>"I don't," Edward grumbled. Delsin and I just stared at him until her cracked like one of his mirrors. "Alright, alright. I like them… but not in a sexual manner!" His face was already turning red and I laughed.<p>

"It doesn't have to be sexual. They are literally god's gift to the world, the first pillows."

"Before man crashed on couches," Delsin intoned in a deep voice, "he rested on breasts." The two of us burst out laughing which made Ed blush even harder, which in turn unnerved our enemies. Who the hell just laughs while getting shot at with all sorts of projectiles? I didn't worry about it as I delivered a swift knee to a soldier's helmet, hearing the visor crack and feeling his body go limp. "Dude, you guys ever think we're crazy? Like we go around doing the type of shit that belongs in comics and we've gotten to the point where we just laugh it off."

"Nah," Delsin said calmly as he pinned a soldier to the ground with gurgling bonds of steaming napalm. "It's all good in the hood." Ed nodded and that was probably what saved him from getting decapitated as a invisible blade drew a line across his neck.

"BLESSED!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I cast my mag sense around. Holding it for an extended period of time hurt like a bitch and took a lot of concentration, but at least I could see the blessed move in real time. Alice had disappeared, presumably to get more re-enforcements, and a ball of fire (Yeah, you read that right. I thought I was tripping the first time I saw it too) bounced around, randomly killing a Blessed that Andi had impaled on the end of her sword. I launched over to her, wrapping the chain around my fist, and the two of us spun around, fighting off the invisible foes that weren't so invisible. My fist crashed into the blessed's face as Andi swung her sword back into its sheath and followed up with a flurry of strikes with her hidden blades, cutting open the Blessed's chest with gashed that oozed a sickly shade of rose. The Blessed swung its sword down and we both split. I leapt to the right and fired a rocket just as Andi did the same.

The poor bastard tried surrounding itself in a cage of glass but it was too late. We blew it to shreds and didn't pause, moving onto the next duo. "Hey, I can see these guys 'cause of my mag sense-" which was giving me a killer headache at the moment, "-but how can you see them?"

"I see their color," Andi said with a shrug. "It's like they're not even invisible."

"Did I mention I really love you?" I said with a grin as I fired a blast of razor-sharp sand, catching the blessed duo's attention by way of drawing blood. "Because I totally do. I love you more than the idea of Ravey in a skirt and thigh-high socks."

"Someone call the devil?" A familiar voice said as spikes of shadow impaled the two Blessed. "I mean, he's not in right now so I thought I'd answer for him." A shadow wrapped around me in comforting warmth for a split second before leaving me and forming into a solid body right next to me.

"Ah, second bae." I patted Raven on the head and he practically purred, leaning into the gesture like a cat would. "Sup, dude?"

"Nothin' much," he rumbled. "But damn if that doesn't feel good." His eyes snapped open and he dashed away in a dark blur. A second later, Opal's fist crashed into a blessed and dented it's skull in. No, really. She smiled at me, now covered in a dark aura.

"Hey."  
>"Yo." I snapped a salute and Andi just whacked me good-naturedly with the hilt of her sword. My sand actually sprung up to catch it. Finally. "I'm surprised you're not trying to cave my skull in," I said with a laugh as I impaled the other blessed on spikes of my own. The damn thing stopped moving… I swear those guys used to be harder to kill.<p>

And then the evil Kessler dropped from nowhere… shit.

"Okay, nope," Raven said from his place wrapped around Opal. "Noooope. We should nope the fuck out right the fuck now because _fuck_ trying to fight that guy."

"I second that," nearly everyone said. I raised my eyebrow as the Converted agreed wholeheartedly with us. Huh, guess they knew how scary the Kessler bastard was. He'd killed me once. I was still slightly salty about that.

"Working on noping the fuck out," Alice said with gritted teeth as she flipped a book open. Kessler laughed.

"Sorry dear." A flick of his hand and the world spun around us, Alice dropping the book in surprise. We stood in what looked like a prison… a prison island. People milling about on tour paused to look at the strange group of individuals who had just popped out of nowhere onto the slate gray isle.

Oh no way in hell. One of my favorite zombies maps, ever.

We were standing in the middle of Alcatraz.

* * *

><p>I fistpumped victoriously. "Aw yissss-" My fanboying was interrupted by the screams as civvies started running away from the GOLIATH soldiers who were trying to kill them to distract us… oh, damn. Civilians. See, usually in Seattle people were smart enough to clear the fuck out when shit went down regarding conduits. We had the odd injury but nothing much.<p>

And now we were stuck with a crowd who thought the appropriate thing to do was taking selfies while running for their lives.

Suddenly I remembered all of the reasons I hated California. "Right, so we should start getting people out and away… Del, Ravey, Andi, start teleporting/flying people out. Ed, Ash, Kuo with me so we can stall Kessler and kill his goons. Converted, crowd control. Funnel them towards boats or something, I dunno. Alice, Coraline… whatever you guys do it better be good."

"And you're the leader why?" Delsin asked with an amused expression on his face. I shrugged.

"I was a guild leader in Heaven's Hellfire. This kinda reminded me of one of the boss raids." I flicked both hands outwards and generated shields that protected some people from getting shot. "Can I get a team on three?"

Various glares told me that no, I could not get a team on three. I winced and went back to dodging bullets and ended up fighting alongside Ash. "So we're probably gonna die today," I pointed out in all seriousness. "Anything you wanna get off your chest?"

"Not really…" Ash gave me a weird look as he fired ice bolts at a Blessed. "If you're still on about the other world stuff I'm telling you right now that you're insane."

"Raven is from another dimension," I pointed out with a shit-eating grin. "It's totally possible."

"Ugh!" A blast of pure cryo energy snapped forward, freezing out opponent in place. "Do you _ever_ give up?!"

"Sooo, how was your date?" I teased, swinging my chain forward to shatter the blessed. Another took its place, this one female. It really didn't matter at this point because between fighting her, her look-alikes and trying to save these damn civilians I was getting stretched a bit thin so I just cut loose with my sand, crushing her under a giant claw and pulling a sand burial type move that sent her down through the concrete. "Did you guys kiss again?"

"They kissed?!" Celia screamed from across the way, pausing in her deliberate murdering of fools to fangirl. "Do you have a picture?"

"Yeah but it's gonna cost a shit-ton," I said with a laugh. A knife whizzed by so fast that is cut the skin on my neck and made me bleed before the cut closed again. I gulped and looked over to see a furious Celia.

"I. Will. Pay. Everything." She said, slowly dragging out each syllable. "Everything." Well that scared the shit outta me so I nodded dumbly and told her my bank account number in the middle of a goddamn firefight that, oh, by the way, we were losing.

"It's been fun," Kessler said, catching all of our attention, "But I really do need to get going, so…" he whistled a sharp tune and all of a sudden things went even more to shit.

Remember all those Blessed we killed? Yeah, they came back to life. Kessler himself punched Delsin in the face and grabbed Ash's head, squeezing like a motherfucker. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said with a laugh as some weird energy was pulled from Ash's forehead and blasted at Alice, who went down like Monica Lewinsky on Bill Clinton.

No, she didn't blow Kessler you idiot. She hit the ground, immobile. _What the hell is the point of being so powerful if you get taken out in one shot? _I thought at her.

_I didn't expect him to do that, _she admitted, gritting her teeth. _I didn't know he could do that. _

_Well fuck me, _I swore at her before sending three claws at Kessler. Yeah, they did jack shit, the bastard just took them like a champ and laughed off the non-noticeable damage. I readied myself to unleash hell but was interrupted by a claw in my side.

Ah, fuck.

"HUMAN! I WASN'T FINISHED WITH YOU!" My favorite non-trip spirit bear was back. How, I had no idea, and I wasn't about to ask as I called up sand to block his incoming punch.

"Dude, CHILL THE FUCK OUT! HOW DID YOU EVEN GET HERE?" I fired two rockets, one of which was a hit and the other he sliced in half.

"DIDN'T KNOW I COULD FLY, HUH!?" He charged forward and swiped at me with his sharp claws. The claws themselves were glowing red with that weird power he uses.

"BUT WE'VE HARDLY BEEN HERE FIVE MINUTES!" I lashed out with my chain, forgetting about Kessler to try and beat this guy. I snapped and smashed him in the face with the length of vibranium.

Oh, I know what I said. There's a good explanation, and it involves everyone's favorite book conduit.

That seemed to knock his head to the side but he tackled me in the stomach, knocking me back. I managed to dig my feet into the ground to stop myself and got ready for another head-on charge since this guy only seemed to want to get physical. Man, was I wrong in the next few seconds. I was forced to dodge a red _laser beam_, a big one mind you, that grazed my left side. It burn like a total bitch and exploded violently behind me. I could feel the wind pressure from the blast.

"I COULD SENSE YOU! I COULD SENSE EVERYONE HERE! YOU WANNA GET AWAY FROM _ME _YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK FOR IT!"

He opened his mouth and began to spit multiple laser beams fully intent on blasting the hell out of me. I launched up, dodging where I could and returning fire with a torrent of sharp, destructive sand that cut a swath through the concrete, a cocky smile flitting across my face. "Bring it, polar bear. I got a new power I've been itching to try." Well, not that I could control my molten metal. Still, if he got close enough to killing me I figured it'd bust out.

He glared at me while visible gritting his fangs. Even from here I think I could see some veins bulging against his head. "I'm going...to shred you to ribbons." His body was once again shrouded in a red aura like before. The ground beneath him cracked violently before he seriously shot off like a canon, heading right for me. The ground broke from the force of his launch and I swear he looked like some sorta comet sailing through the air. For the second time he crashed right into me but didn't stop there. As I tumbled in the air trying to regain my balance with more of my sand his paws were pointed at my direction. He fired blast after blast with too much precision to my liking.

I took serious hits, and there was a hole in my shoulder… more like a dent. Point is, it hurt like hell and I unleashed two massive claws, pinning Dekker to the ground before the claws exploded into razor-sharp spikes. I couldn't help but smirk at seeing my attack go through. I know for sure no one could'a dodge that. But I didn't completely celebrate yet. A conduit animal is one thing. A conduit animal with instant, never-ending rage is another. And then Dekker just had to be something else entirely, so I wasn't gonna put all my hope into that attack. I was right when I heard a buzzing-hum from where he landed. When all the dust cleared from the explosion and shards of metal were everywhere he was completely unharmed. His body covered in a dome of red power.

He looked up to me. "What? Was that supposed to do something?" He stood on his hind legs and resumed chucking energy balls. I got my iron sand ready to block, counter or to help dodge but none of that was needed when the blasts were seriously off their mark and flew everywhere else.

"Ha! What the hell are you aiming at!? Think that last attack got you brain damaged!"

"Says you, human!" He held his arms out once he stopped firing. It only took me a second to realize that a mass of red orbs were floating all around me on all sides. And fuck. There were a BUNCH of them. "Hellzone Grenade!" He clapped his paws together and all of the blasts began to converge on me at once.

"You stole this from Piccolo-" I managed before the explosion rocked my body and I fell from the sky, sand springing up to catch me as I shook off the burns. The vest Delsin had given me and Andi had edited was full of holes. I growled louder than the actual bear and lunged at him in a fit of rage, swinging twin claws and blasting metal filings that sliced across his fur, leaving tracks of red.

Dekker just growled right back. Now his eyes were flashing red. He took a deep breath and roared right in my face. A shockwave of power blasted from him and struck dead on; sending me flying back. Now I tumbled against the ground before crashing into a big boulder.

"No matter WHAT you're feeling, you anger is NOTHING COMPARED TO MINE!" He roared releasing more shockwaves. This time not just at me but all around him, breaking the ground as even lifting stone into the air which broke away and disintegrated. He stalked over towards me, each step giving a small boom as the ground cave under his hind paws. I just yelled at him, an angry yell.

"NO ONE FUCKS WITH MY CLOTHES!" My sand burned bright and melted into a fiery orange liquid as I sent a veritable torrent of lava at his face. "THE VEST WAS A _**GIFT**_!" Okay, not gonna lie. I felt pretty badass as the molten metal split into three flows and drilled towards Dekker.

"YOU'RE WHAT!?" He screamed right back, not caring that he was going to get burned alive. My molten metal actually managed to make contact and wash over his entire body, along with burning anything else it touched. Part of me was wondering if I had seriously just killed that guy off. If so I had a distinct feeling Cipher would come for my ass about that. And not in the way I go after Raven's. But I was so mad right now that I didn't give two fucks about any of that. I could feel liquid trickling down my face and faintly registered it as the tar. Remember that? _That's _why I was pissed beyond belief. Bye-bye mind blocks ala Kristil and her freaky tar powers. Latent trauma coming to the surface was never a good thing.

A blast of red erupted from the molten metal and soared into the sky. Shit. I should'a known it was too good to be true.

"_**YOU **_INTERRUPT MY QUALITY TIME WITH MY MATE AND _**YOU **_HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SAY YOU'RE ANGRY!? BECAUSE OF A FUCKING JACKET!? _**HOW DARE YOU**_! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE PISSED!"

"I'm done." I said with a hollow laugh. "Just die already." I swung my hand together, clamping them as twin streams of fiery metal slammed into Dekker. I doubted he'd be dead, but it bought me time to rip out all the metal in the area and drain it into my veins. It reconstituted as floating, glowing blades, like Eugene used to make. Rest in peace, buddy. I unloaded what felt like hundreds of blades in Dekker's direction, and they exploded on contact, devastating the landscape around and behind. He was surrounded in a sphere-like whirlwind of lava swords… now _that_ was badass.

"Hrrrraaaaaaaaaaa….." Wait….what? No way. That _had_ to be on the verge of impossible. I could see red lights beginning to flash through the mass of lava-like metal in small beams. "GGRAAAAAAAHHHH!" There was basically an explosion of the stuff and all of the molten metal surrounding him wasn't just blown away but it seriously evaporated. Dekker was still floating in the same spot with a much bigger energy field surrounding him. Is that how other's feel when my iron sand protects me from damage? If so I think I can understand why they get so pissed.

"I've had enough of these games, boy! You're MANY years too early to lock horns with me!" More veins popped over his head as his aura surged. "I've grown tired of you! I'LL BLAST YOU TO HEAVEN, HELL AND BACK AGAIN!" With his energy field still up he turned his body to the right a little and placed his paws near his right hip. Swirls of red gathered between them. Oh...hell no! He's not _seriously_ gonna do what I think he'll do, right? Aw man, I was gonna make the DBZ joke with a Special Beam Cannon…

"Kaaaa….meeeee…..haaaaa…..meeeeeee…."

I didn't' wait for him to finish because I wasn't an idiot… it was time to try something new. I forced metal to solidify as a shell around my body and stepped backwards, out of it. It looked nearly as lifelike as one of my dad's marionnettes, and I was proud. I fell back, using metal to drill a hole into the ground and fall down into the layers below. I heard Dekker scream the final word for Goku's signature move and braced myself the for blast too seriously rock the hell out of the ground. Except something else happened entirely. If I knew one thing it would've taken a good few seconds for that to slam into the earth. Instead I see a mass of red _shooting right down the hole I made!_

Great. My metal sprung up and practically entombed me as I leapt to the side. Nope. Drilled straight into my chest and went boom. The explosion vaporized everything in a good ten feet radius. A hole was in my chest and my skin was burned right off. It hurt.

Pain, pain, pain. I was honestly tired of all the stupid pain, and now my stupid issues with my dad were at the forefront of my mind, and I just really wanted to _**kill **_something, specifically a spirit bear. The metal responded to my will, flowing _into me _instead of out. The hole in my chest was fixed and I got some glowing lines up and down my arms, horizontal bands around my wrist and just below my shoulder that were intersected by two lines on top and two on bottom. I could feel the lines burning on my freshly healed torso and my legs as well.

Oh. Apex. Well, if anything was going to kill me it would be this: over-extending my energy. I turned my palms up and noted that there was a thin circle that the bottom lines touched on. The top of my palm had an identical circle that the top lines touched. With a roar, I jumped up and swung my hand straight down, a liquid blade forming and slicing into Dekker's left shoulder.

Dekker gave a loud roared of pain as the blade cut, burned and seared his wound all at once. He snapped his jaws closed and was now drooling, while his lips quivered in anger. He glared at me again and got on all fours. His mouth opened and he shot 10 energy beams at me all at once. Dodging those was a laugh, I just leapt right over his head and ran him through with the other arm, my second blade poking straight out his stomach. "That hurt, bitch?"

He gasped as had his mouth open wide in a silent yell. I'd assume that was because he was in too much pain to speak. Just like how I wanted.

"Grrr! Now you've...done it, pest!" Still having strength he sent a pulse of power through his body. Apex or not I still didn't have a way of blocking something like that yet. I was flung right off, the arm blades flying with me. Now his snow white fur had two patches of black and red on it. If anything I could at least claim two marks.

Sadly, my Apex faded and suddenly the feeling of 'yeah I can kick anyone's ass to hell and back' became 'wow I really feel like coughing up blood all of a sudden'. And I did, splattering crimson onto the grey concrete. Man, we did a number on this place… holes in the ground, swaths of the prison turned to rubble, burns and explosions and more than a few bodies lying around… and that was just me and Dekker. Some of those GOLIATH guys got in the way. Still, I was in _no_ position to do anything other than kneel and clear my lungs of blood.

I heard heavy footsteps and even heavier breathing. Didn't take a genius to know who that was. I felt a harsh tug on my ruined shirt and was lifted into the air by a beyond pissed spirit bear.

"That hurt. That _actually _hurt. I guess you're not just a one-trick pony after all.".

A savage, bloodthirsty grin split my face. "I take pride in being a two-trick pony." I kicked him in the throat and slapped a page stolen from Alice's book onto his forehead, causing him to vanish in a flash of white light. I was aiming for somewhere far, far away… preferably the south pole.

Falling on my back sucked. I was barely able to fold the paper up and shove it back in my pocket with trembling fingers. The fact that I could smell burnt flesh and my own blood didn't help. I just kinda laying there, hoping to god that even if the stupid bear stole Goku's moveset he didn't have Instant-

"Transmission? In case your pea-sized brain hasn't picked up on this, I can use _ki_. That's my power, meat."

Aaaaaaaand once again I was being held up in the air. Of course he had Instant Transmission. Fuck it, next time I'm sending him to Mars. I mean, if there is a next time. The tar still rolled down my cheeks in thick, viscous lines. "Dude, that's so lame-" I coughed blood and splattered his white fur into red, "-you couldn't come up with original moves so you copy-pasted Goku's… I should totally Destructo-Disk you for that."

"The ideas weren't mine. They were Ryle's. So if you have a problem with that then take it up with him. His words 'if it ain't broke then use it.' And I have to admit. They're quite handy. But since you have such a problem with how I use energy…"

The next thing he did wasn't anything that I had seen from DBZ. His eyes flashed again before turning green. The wounds that he had were giving pulses of green energy before they healed right up. "I can use that for one."

"Not really original, is it?" A flash of one familiar purple blade and a thick red line was drawn across Dekker's arm. He dropped me and I landed with a thump as Andi stabbed the bear through the back, piercing his spine, and splattering him with ink from her free hand.

Wait, splattering. Oh, shit. I tried crawling away as fast as I could because next, there was gonna be a really big boom. My girlfriend kicked Dekker in the chest and sent him crashing into one of the few walls that was still standing.

"Heal this." Her eyes flashed solid violet… Boom. Bye-bye water tower, lighthouse, and docks. I love her but damn if she doesn't scare me. She almost never used the whole 'blow up whatever my ink touches' gimmick because 'I'm an assassin, Vince. I have to be stealthy. And no, Willie filling your locker with glitter is not a good enough reason for me to trash his car. You're the one with metal, do it yourself… and don't get caught. Neither of us have enough money to pay for that, and we can't be outed as conduits'. I could practically see her rubbing her forehead in frustration… oh wait, she was.

"You had to pick a fight with animal Goku," she said, sitting down next to me with an eye roll. "I love you to death but sometimes I wonder if you're capable of _thinking_ before you act. He _was_ in the right, after all. You should've knocked." My head was pulled into her lap and she began rubbing my scalp in a soothing massage.

"To be fair," I said, trying my best to ignore the battle raging in the background as her fingers worked magic on my poor, pounding head. "It's a teleport. I can't exactly knock." She laughed and I couldn't help the idiotic smile that graced my face. _Still got it, _I thought to myself. Wow. Reading this back makes me wonder about my priorities… girlfriend before dying.

With that my thoughts wandered to if I should bust out a ring if that was how I really felt. No hurry, obviously, we were only eighteen. Oh, wait. My birthday was coming up in like, a week. Timing.

Her eyebrow quirked up in sync with the corners of her lips. She never really wore makeup, which was cool because I'm not really into having lipstick all over everywhere after a makeout sesh. "Maybe you should've _not_ teleported?"

"When have I ever not done something because of common sense?"

"You did jump in front of a bus doing sixty on the freeway to prove you'd live." A shake of her head as he hair flounced around her shoulders. "Remind me why we date again?"

"Circumstances, good chemistry, and mind-blowing sex." My face went deadpan as I could possibly make it with all the aches and pains wracking my body. "Also, good luck on my part. Maybe that's why bad things always happen to me."

"You think meeting me used it up?" Another laugh as she calmly deflected chunks of rubble with her ink. "If anything, I used mine up meeting you."

"Awwww." I clasped my hands together and placed them against my cheek, tilting my forehead. "You do care." Andi flicked my nose for in answer, a smile still on her face as she looked over to all the rubble. The smile became a frown. "That's just ridiculous."

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"**

A very large explosion of red, larger than the ink explosion Andi just made, erupted with you-know-who being the source. I was surprised that there wasn't a spot of ink on him and no blood from the slashes and stabs. But I quickly remembered the bastard had healing powers too. Geez, doesn't he know when to call it quits? His shoulders shooks with intensity and the ground kept rumbling from the surge of red ki. Man. I never thought I use that word in real-world terms. Scratch that. Not real world. More like just not in DBZ ones.

"You irritating...little…!" Wow. So upset he had no insult? Now you know that's serious.

Andi sighed and stretched her wings, unsheathing her sword. "What I wouldn't give to have the twin blade right now. Vince, don't die…" she froze and gave me a look that was a mix between quirky and curious. "Actually go ahead. You've died… three times, now? And no repercussions except for getting stronger… I feel like we're in a bad shounen manga sometimes."

I would've rolled my eyes but it hurt too much to move them. Really? My _eyeballs_ were hurting… I was never going to use Apex again. Ever.

Dekker looked over to me and took a long gaze at the sorry condition I was in. Shit. I have confidence that Andi could hold her own, of course. But Dekker's kinda been taking everything I've thrown, eaten it all up and threw it back up in my face even harder. He did so even with my new molten metal powers. Not to mention Dekker jumped right out of Dragon Ball Z _with _extra powers, so who knows what he could do. I had a sinking feeling in my gut that Andi might not be up to this either. And if he were to get his hands on me again… shit. I just hope Andi's right about me coming back a fourth time. More power as a bonus would be a nice touch.

"Don't even think about it." Andi said, ink swirling around her a bit, while she gripped her sword tighter. Dekker looked between me and her and grumbled something I couldn't hear. He looked at me again.

"You're _weak_, human. I haven't even been fighting you at full power. Under 50 percent at the most. Next time you won't get off so easy."

He roared once more with an explosion of red aura and blasted from the ground, flying off into the sky. Wherever he was going I was glad that it was away from here… but at the same time I was going to get stronger and kick his ass. Stupid polar bear.

My revenge schemes were cut short as the world shifted around us and I got thrown to the concrete back in Seattle. I groaned and tried standing, failing miserably. Andi sheathed her sword and gave me a hand up, tossing me over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  
>"This is demeaning," I complained as her arm pinned my legs to her left shoulder. "C'mon, cut me some slack."<p>

"Nope. You've proven that I can't leave for more than five minutes or you almost die," she deadpanned. "Plus, you've done this at least twice."  
>I facepalmed. "But it was cute when I did it. Now it's just awkward."<p>

"You did it in front of my dad," she said with a headshake, sporting an exasperated look as I tried wiggling free. "Stop that."

"Vince, the hell?" Delsin was in my face all of a sudden, arms folded across his chest and a slightly pissed expression on his face. Huh. It didn't suit him. "What was with the polar bear, man? You left us to get our asses kicked."

"Technically a spirit bear," I said in the most helpful manner I could muster. "And I would've just gotten my ass kicked too. Seriously, Kessler op. Please nerf next patch. I also had a mental snap mid-battle which let me unlock a new power through pure rage… hmmm." I scratched my head while wondering if I could still toss around the molten stuff. A flick of my hand revealed that I could, but after a few seconds it turned into solid metal. Huh, a combo of old and new powers. I'd have to work on that later, but first I needed to explain. Besides, Eddie was looming behind Delsin and looking like _he _wanted a go.

"You. Idiot." He spat those words with enough venom to kill a cobra. It didn't really help my attitude at this point… that rage was still there.

"Not in the mood for your shit," I replied while twisting free from Andi and landing on my feet. "I might be beat to hell but unless you got an upgrade I'm about to snap your damn neck, scotty boy." Molten metal swirled around my hands. "Beam up while you can, before I go Apex on you."

I've made some pretty big bluffs…. one time I managed to lie my way onto Leonardo Di Caprio's personal yacht. At that point Ed could've knocked me over by blowing on me and using Apex would kill me… I don't think I could use it if I wanted to.

"Forget this," he said, crossing his arms and look away. "You're not worth it." I snapped, getting right up in his face, coating my arm in solid metal and turning it into a blade.

"Not worth it? Not WORTH IT?! I'm tired of hearing that shit! I've heard that shit ever since I was twelve and my dad started beating the shit outta me to try and teach me my powers! Ever since I was framed for stealing a goddamn car by my so called friends in the ninth grade! Since the school got graffitied and everyone fucking blamed me, because why the fuck not?! I'm just the worthless kid who got his mom killed in a car accident, right? My mom's parents disowned her because she wouldn't fucking abort me: according to them I WASN'T WORTH THE DAMN TROUBLE! So you best back the fuck up, scotty boy, before I decide you're not fucking worth it and rip your intestines out through your **THROAT**!"

Looking back that was seriously not cool. Still, gimme a break. I snapped the damn mental barriers, had my ass kicked at what I thought was my strongest by a _bear_, and on top of that I'd been killed three times over the six month period we'd been in seattle. I can't be chill all the time. Something's got to give and at that point I'd had enough.

Still… fuck man, I kinda wanna go apologize to Ed for being an asshole. He didn't need my own shit dumped on him after our whole squad just got the asskicking of our lives.

No one said anything. Delsin looked towards the sky, Ed down at the ground. Ash was rubbing his eyes and Kuo looked like she was having some bad flashbacks. Celia's face was impassive as she gently leaned against Jace, who looked more pale and gaunt than usual. Andi was the one who had it most together, but then again… she was good at pretending to be okay. Everyone just looked old and tired, to sum it up in a few words. Alice was nowhere to be seen. I guess she was off doing Alice things.

I was just done. My blade dropped from Ed's neck and the metal flowed back into me, molten for a brief period. "Fuck this," I said as I took a few steps back with a shake of my head. "I don't have the energy for this…" I reached into my pocket and unfolded the stolen page. With a thought, I was gone.

When I was this down and out, there was really only one place to go.

* * *

><p>Well this chapter got heavy as fuck... Damn. Didn't see that coming, really.<p>

Oh, since I love you guys so much, you're getting an Omake in Andi's POV about less depressing shit. It takes place one day before this one and is full of shenanigans. Don't forget to read and review.

~Kole (Zeta)


	26. Omake: Kensei

Omake time, Baby! Andi's POV all the waaaaaay! Drop some reviews and show love.

~Kole (Zeta)

* * *

><p>I yawned and stretched my limbs, feeling my muscles sing in response. The joy of a good night's sleep isn't lost on me at all, especially since I've been plagued by nightmares since I was ten. My boyfriend Vince is really the only one who gets that I'm not being lazy most of the time; everyone else must think I'm one hell of a sloth.<p>

Still, I managed to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, forcing myself to start walking on the cold wooden floor, heading for the shower to wake me up. Vince was already gone, probably doing something that would somehow result in me having to fight a bunch of overpowered conduits… I love him to death, but I swear he's some sort of magnet for trouble.

The steaming water rushing over my skin helped me to clear my mind and zone out, slipping into an almost meditative state as I scrubbed myself clean, watching the soap run down the drain in swirling eddies of white. A close lookover of myself in the fogged up mirror tells me that I'm still svelte as ever, toned and good looking. My usually long hair was short and wavy now, violet with streaks of electric blue.

Hey, I'm not being narcissistic. It's just plain true. I'm good looking and I can acknowledge the fact, play it up to my advantage when I need to. Vince is putty in my hands, really.

Vince… it's weird how much stuff I let him get away with. Still, the stuff he 'gets away with' is usually stuff I encourage him to do in the first place. It's not really my fault that neither of us are good at relationships. I'm an emotionally stunted assassin and he's the emotionally abused brawler. It works, though. I really do love him, and I know he loves me.

That thought was forefront in my mind as I slipped into some of Alice's special made clothes. A white short-sleeved shirt became a perfect whirlpool blend of crimson, purple, azure and silver as ink flowed from my fingers. I reshaped the whirlpool into a golden lion with the streaks of other colors in his mane, gazing off towards the left with an aurora of bronze in the background. I stick with black jeans, choosing to stripe the bottom half with tiger claw markings in violet. Vince left his jacket lying around, so I grab it and shrug it on.

"It's too purple," I told him when he first bought it, a teasing grin playing across my lips. "You look like a girl." He just laughed.

"It makes me look badass," he said with a grin. Of course, I couldn't let his ego remain uncrushed, so when we sparred later that day I broke eight of his ribs without bothering to use my powers.

He managed to make a joke out of that too. Somehow he makes a joke out of everything, in a good kind of way. Just the scent of him that lingered on his jacket made me smile. He smells like metal, in a good way. Not like the cold steel of a blade, but the old and smooth cast iron used in antique furniture.

On top of the box was a purple scarf that matched my eyes. It wasn't there a few seconds ago, but I'd long since stopped questioning things like this and chose to wrap it around my shoulders, once, twice. The longest end hug over my left shoulder as I left the room, picking up Zhǎnshǒu which rested at the door and slinging it across my back, the hilt angled to the right.

I ran into a grinning Zeke on the way down the hall. "Hold up now," he said as he presented me with a wrapped package. "Your boyfriend ordered these made special for ya. I thought I'd give em to ya since they're all done."

"If they're another pair of platform boots," I muttered with a slight frown as I took the package that was far too light to have anything inside it, "I will show him the literal meaning of Zhǎnshǒu." But as I unwrapped the small box sleek black metal caught the light and twinkled at me. It was a set of hidden blades, but nothing like I'd ever seen. They were gauntlets that cut off at my wrist yet ran the length of my forearm. As I gladly fastened them on I noticed that they weighed almost nothing and that no blade was visible against the smooth underside. The only distinguishing feature was two sparkling amethysts set in the middle of the gauntlets.

"See I was thinkin'," Zeke said as I ran my hands along my new weapons, "Why stop at at some borin' old hidden blades? No ma'am, I decided to make you your very own amp."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow as a smile crept across my face and I channeled ink into the cold metal. The stones glowed and two blades rushed out from the underside, a myriad of colors rippling the surface. "This is good." I performed a few precision jabs, testing the weight and the handle of my new blades… they were perfect in every sense of the word. I nodded my thanks and Zeke continued on his merry way, going wherever he was heading in the first place.

As I passed the kitchen, I felt the jacket pull closer and tighten around my body, becoming form fitting in a matter of seconds. A smile came to my face unbidden. Only one person could control metal like that.

"Good morning." my boyfriend said as his arms encircled me from behind and I leaned into the embrace, relaxing. The first time he tried to do that, I broke his arm. Some habits die hard.

"It's fine," he had said with a pained smile on his face. "Fly too close to the sun and you get burned, right?" I just laughed and shook my head through the inky black tears that streamed down my face. How anyone could be so forgiving used to be beyond me. Now, I knew it was because of love.

"Now it is," I told him with a smile as he bent down over me to capture my lips with his own. I'd never actually tell him, but I loved that he was taller than me. It just felt _good_ to have him drape himself over me like a safety blanket. Still, I'd take that secret to the grave… his ego is big enough.

"You know I control that jacket?" His eyebrow quirked upwards and I just wanted to kiss him for being so cute. "So basically, you wearing it means I get to grope you 24/7."

A teasing grin came onto my face as I danced away from his grip and slid over to the fridge on a stain of ink. "You do anyways." The fridge held milk and I poured myself some cereal, eating quickly as we discussed nothing at all for the brief moment of peace we held.

"Where are you going today?" The way he slumped forward onto the island was artistic. I wanted to bust out some canvas and paint him as he was, relaxed and natural… like all my drawings of him, I could capture a piece of his soul in time forever.

Not that I'd tell him about my sketchbook filled with art solely depicting him. Again, it comes back to his ego. I love him and so I protect him from overconfidence and from himself. That will be his worst enemy, not his dad or Kessler.

"Girl stuff," I say. Code, of course, for _assassin _stuff. His face changes whenever I bring this up, like he wants to be a part of my life completely and forever, but he understands that there are some things I have to face alone. His hand resting on top of mine is warm and comforting like a fire on a winter night.

"I love you." His eyes smolder with truth and I have to force myself not to look away from the embers. For someone who's lived lies for so long the truth becomes much, much more scary.

My wings fold as I land in front of a Hallmark gift shop. The funny part is that they went bankrupt years ago. No one really spares me a second glance as I push open the door and approach the counter. Around Seattle, conduits are part of the landscape, iconic as the Space needle even if we've cost the city more than that thing ever has.

"Howdy," I say to the man at the counter with a roll of my eyes. I always hated the passwords that were made up. They just seemed so…. unrealistically scripted.

"Howdy doody," he says back, earning us a few curious glances from the customers milling about inside. "Do you have the time?"

"Sorry," I say with a shrug. "My watch stopped at a quarter past three." Ignore the fact that I'm not wearing a watch, of course. This is why I didn't like those code phrases. Sometimes, they just made no sense.

"Darn." He went back to apathetically reading his newspaper, pretending like if I hadn't said the right thing that he wouldn't have shot me with the beretta that he keeps underneath the counter. I ignore that fact as I head into the back room and push aside boxes to reach the trapdoor cleverly hidden. Even after that, I had to insert my finger into a scanner, and allow it to take some blood. Among other things, the scanner measures my pulse and the frequency at which my neurons fired along with what chemicals were in my blood. If I were drugged or under duress, the door wouldn't open.

It did with a slight hiss as it slid away, revealing a ladder that lead down into a white hallway lit with fluorescent near-blue bulbs. Despite the harsh and sterile interior I feel relaxed, more at home. I wonder just how many others like me have walked these halls in the past, seeking refuge from the enemy we all share.

Shared, I should say. Abstergo is no more.

Well, that sounded dramatic, didn't it? Alice blew them up with the help of her books.

"One of the best things I've ever turned into atomic waste." The smile on her face was equal parts creepy and sincere. I gave her a hug and she froze up like Kuo had blasted her with cryokinetic energy.

As I neared the main room, footsteps padding softly against the tile, the laces of my converse clicking together softly, I noticed something was wrong. The wrongness was a person, _another_, standing at the main console and accessing information.

This person was another girl that seemed to be around my age, though if anything above all else, she had a pretty interesting get up. Nothing but red and black clothing. By which I mean he normal, smooth black hair that reached her shoulders in length. She wore a red scarf that hung loosely behind her, stopping and the middle of her back. At the top of the scarf was a hood. Her shirt was a pure black long sleeve. She didn't wear pants and instead wore red shorts that stopped above her knees and ankle hugging black boots. One thing that really caught my attention was the black and red katana that was holstered to the small of her back in a horizontal position, with the handle directed to her right. The sheath was also red and black, with the red part being a multitude of dragons.

I slid Zhǎnshǒu from its scabbard, the noise hardly audible. "I'd start with some witty banter," I said with a half grin, "But I'm not my boyfriend and this isn't the place to joke around. Tell me what you're doing here or I'll kill you."

The girl had stopped gathering info from the terminal and turned her head slightly to face me. She just gave a 'tch' and went back to whatever she was previously doing.

I rolled my eyes and shot a blast of ink directly at her head. Lately, my shots have become more powerful. Getting hit by one of those is roughly equal to getting hit with a .357 round.

In an instant the girl's head turned back to me and her left hand flew up the moment my ink neared her head. I tilted my head, curious when she _somehow deflected_ the blast. Not really deflect but she split it into two separate streams that flew past her on both sides.

It reminded me of an old legend about two sword makers, a master and an apprentice. The apprentice argued that his blade was better, so both katanas were placed in a stream. The apprentice's blade cut everything that came in it's path, mostly leaves and twigs. The master's blade cut nothing. Of course, the apprentice assumed that his blade was sharper, when in fact it wasn't. The master's blade was better because it did not cut needlessly, instead existing in harmony with the environment.

I stepped forward and swung my blade at her midsection, not expecting to hit her but just to see how she would react, testing the waters. Her eyes narrowed as she gripped the red, banded hilt of her sword and did a quick turn to her right side. With a yank she slightly slid the blade out only for it to cancel my slash.

"Hmm…" I shook my head as I lightly danced away, twirling Zhǎnshǒu in my right. "You're one of those." In a flash, I slid forward on my ink and delivered and overhead strike while using my new hidden blade to stab at her left. To my slight annoyance instead of trying to dodge she blocked my strike. She managed to knock my wrist downward while she brought out her own sword to block my overhead slash. She grunted and drew her leg higher with some impressive flexibility, but nothing amazing. Though I didn't appreciate how she was able to kick me in the chin, even from this position.

I just laughed and melted into ink, sliding under her just to solidify directly in her face, Zhǎnshǒu sheathed on my back as both my new blades slid from their place on my wrist. "Okay, that was good. It would be more interesting if you talk, but like I said… you're one of _those_ types. The ones that don't fully draw their blade and never talk unless they're about to die. You've got some inflated sense of grandeur." I shook my head with a grin that didn't feel out of place at all. Finally, I was going to fight someone who could measure up to me in terms of skill.

The girl placed her sword, or at least the amount she drew out, back into her sheath and placed a hand on her hip.

"You got it wrong. I just don't talk to people who attack me outright."

I shrugged, my shoulders rolling casually against the tight jacket that seemed to hug my curves more with every movement. Vince and I were going to talk later. Just because he _can_ doesn't mean he should. "Well, I had it on good authority that I was the last one alive." No need to say the last of what. In here, this place, we both knew. "That's what I get for trusting a bibliokinetic telepath. There's just no good substitute for HUMINT, even with all the pseudo-gods we have running around."

"A...bibliokinetic? Someone who controls power from books? Guess Cipher was right. Any kind of Conduit's can pop up nowadays."

"She's been around a lot longer than he has," I said with a quirk of my eyebrow and a twist of my lips. "I'm surprised you've never met Wonderland." I idly pondered the idea of fighting more, testing my skills, letting iron sharpen iron. Vince would've made a joke about that. I couldn't help but start to think about what he'd do in this situation.

"Blow her to bits and ask questions later," his voice said in my head with that cocky grin evident on his face. "Or, you know. Basically start fighting and then only question later why I got my ass kicked."

"You give bad advice," I murmured, the familiar words sailing across my lips. "Idiot."

"Wait, what? What the hell are you talking about? I hope you're not talking about _me_." I looked to her with a slight frown on her face. Shifting my eyes down a bit I saw her fingers twitch once. It was subtle but I most definitely saw it. I leaned closer with a smile, eyes fixed on hers. I saw myself in those chocolate pools: wall after wall, set up to keep people out..

"Not you, my boyfriend." And with that I drove my right knee up towards her solar plexus, using the terminal as a springboard. She was knocked back slightly and quickly moved to gain some distance from me.

She gave me a glare and exclaimed, "What the hell is your problem!? You're seriously _still_ trying to pick a fight with me!?" She grabbed the hilt of her sword again but didn't move, expecting an answer. I wasn't going to give that to her.

I lunged forward with my hidden blades, lashing out in a flurry of strikes that could've killed, but weren't meant to… I just wanted to test her. It was almost impossible for me to believe I wasn't alone. By the time she saw what I was doing her right hand left her sword, resorting to dodging and deflecting my strikes, though she made sure to hold her ground. It was exciting. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and my heart pumping in my chest as I bit the corner of my lip with a smile. "You…" A high kick towards her head. This time a quick smirk appeared on her face as she tilted her body down, moving to the side to dodge the blow. I heard two clicking noises and saw that she had her palm pointed towards my face, though I managed to catch a glimpse of a silver barrel underneath it her black sleeve.

"Bullseye." She said.

The guns! I took a mental note, promising myself to ask Zeke to install those later. I liquified again before coming up from the puddle of ink with a fierce uppercut, my multi-colored blades flashing under the artificial lights. There was another click, drawing my eyes shift to her other wrist. Of course she had two of them. A good assassin was always prepared. Her being in here was proof enough but I managed to catch a glimpse of the Brotherhood's symbol on her back in red. I was forced to cancel the uppercut and dodge to the right before a resounding bang echoed through the area. She gave no rest for the weary as her other arm, was pointed at my forehead. And by pointed I mean her hand was an inch from my skin. I didn't bother trying to liquefy. I forgot she didn't get to fire that one. If I wanted out, I would have to take a shot to the face. My heart pounded against my ribcage as my blood sung with the thrill of battle. To be entirely honest, I was aroused by the position I found myself in. I felt the full impact of bullet slamming right into my skull. It burned for a split second.

The fast healing of conduits. We can walk off bullets like they're nothing but a foam dart shot from a spring-loaded children's toy. I grabbed the girl's wrist and yanked her closer, my blade up against her neck. I'm sure my eyes were wild as I stared her down with a wistful grin.

"That… this is fun," I said, my words burning a path against her cool skin. "It's been too long since anyone had anywhere near my level of skill. You… you got the drop on me. I was sloppy." The very thought sent a chill racing down my spine and I nearly clenched my knees together.

Vince was going to have his hands full tonight.

The girl shook her head slightly, not at all concerned about the blade near her throat. "You also got me back. I'm too used to fighting regular people like this. That gun trick worked out differently in my head. I knew it was an error in calculation to expect you to fly backwards."

I dropped the blade and squeezed the girl in a hug. "I'm Andi," I said with a laugh that was entirely genuine. "I'm glad I'm not the last."

"My name is Penny. You have some impressive skills yourself. Though...it wasn't all that fair in my opinion. You've been turning into liquid left and right. I haven't even used my power yet."

"True," I said as I let go and looked my opponent over. I wondered who trained her, where she'd come from, what her story was. If I asked she wouldn't answer, I knew that much. I also counted in my head the number of concealed weapons I'd felt when I'd hugged her…. a grand total of four small knives hidden under her shirt.

"Not to sound entirely rude...but are you okay? First you attacked me, then you were talking to me, attacked me again, and _now _you're hugging me? Is this some kind of trick to lower my guard? I won't fall for it twice if it is."

"Relax," I said, combing a hand through my silken hair and letting out a sigh. Vince was always better at talking people down than I was. "I'm done. It was fun sparring, but I've got no reason to kill another one of us."

I couldn't see it at the moment but I could've sworn she was smiling at me. "Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are. I didn't think there would be another my age at least. As far as I can tell I only know of others Assassins but that's it. You've turned out to be a surprise. Sorry for not properly acknowledging you before. I thought you were just some wannabe I missed during my travels."

"Wannabe?" I shook my head and felt my hair bob back and forth. I looked her over again in an attempt to figure out why she so brazenly displayed the symbol of the Brotherhood. "I was coming here just to check up on things and make sure the base was in working order. Apparently it is." My arms folded across my chest and I blew air upwards into the bangs that hung gently into my face. "I'm not expected to be back for awhile." My lips curved upwards and I could feel my eyes start to twinkle. "Do you know anything interesting to do around here?"

She cupped her chin in thought. "Well.. me and my friends just arrived here not too long ago after another friend of ours told us about strange things occurring here in Seattle. They all might be scouting random areas or not. If anything I can introduce you to them. Or at least the ones who I can find. Though you wanna just walk and talk?"

"Sure." I spun around on my heel, quickly tapping keys on the terminal to power it down. I watched as uninterrupted flows of information were closed off, looped back to the source and shut down, access ports left open for easy re-entry. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yeah." I smiled and gestured for her to take the lead, following as silently and demurely as I could. The lack of sound I made was the result of constant years of training… I was actually forced to walk on rice paper without breaking it _or_ making a sound. It might've been cliche and from a movie, but the results paid off.

The scent of roasted grinds filled my nose as we sat in one of Seattle's many coffee shops. The soft chair that I relaxed into seemed to mold itself around me, like Vince's jacket. My mind wandered towards him, wondering what he was doing as I sat here conversing with the only person who understood what the early part of my life was composed of.

"Anything you can tell me about yourself?" I tilted the coffee cup backwards and let the strong, black liquid wash down my throat, the heat radiating from my chest outwards to the tips of my fingers.

"Hmm...what's there to talk about? I guess I can say that...despite what you might think I haven't really been a 'you-know-what' for too long. One year at the most." She took her own small sip of her coffee, while she subtly gestured to one of her hidden blades.

I contained my shock with another sip of burning coffee, tilting my head slightly to the right. It was a habit I'd picked up from Vince. He always cocked his head when something interesting came up.

"Do tell," he'd say in a foppish british accent.

"Really?" I shook my head in wonderment… my skill must've been more atrophied than I assumed if I hadn't been able to knock her out. Then again, I hadn't been trying to go for a knockout. I couldn't bring myself to hurt anyone left. There were apparently more of us now, if she was to be believed. "Since I was five. We were on the run a lot. It was only after we broke out of Curdun Cay that 'you-know-who' was completely eliminated." A shiver raced down my spine and curdled my blood as I thought about the experiments I had to deal with while trapped in that sadistic hell. "Have you ever been forced to…" A shake of my head cut off my sentence as I looked away.

Penny glanced down at the cup with both of her hands, adopting her own surprised look. It slowly faded into a small frown with each passing second. "Since...since you were five, huh? Plus you were one of the ones locked in that place to boot? You've probably had it harder than I did. I wasn't really adopted into the Brotherhood." Her hands unclenched and clenched in steady patterns. "My family was actually part of the Templars with my father a high-up in Abstergo. But I didn't know about any of that during those times."

Templar. I almost tried to kill her on the spot. I almost yanked my sword from my scabbard and slit her throat. I almost drove my blades into her chest and ripped out her heart. I nearly painted the seat she rested in a burning shade of crimson with a few well-placed blasts of ink. "You." I settled for clenching my free hand so hard that I left half-moon imprints in the skin that were darkened with the red of my blood. The look on my face went from friendly to impassive as I plotted her death in my head.

She gave a smile with no emotion. "Yeah. Not a very nice start off, huh? I'd understand if you don't feel comfortable around me like you were before."

"You're lucky I don't kill you," I said in a blase manner as I sipped more of my coffee. "I'm soft now. Vince has changed me too much." I reached for a napkin and let ink trace across it, sketching the girl in black and white. Trails of ink leaked off her figure, leaving her looking like a specter, a ghost.

She sighed. "Well can you at least let me finish? Then you can have full right to judge me however you want."

I unclenched my fist and relaxed slightly. "I'm listening."

"Anyway, unlike you, I guess you can say I trained at a young age too. He got me into Karate when I was six. But nothing out of the ordinary with the classes. Heck, I didn't think there was anything out of the ordinary with my family. But when I turned twelve...that's when it all began to change." Her eyes went from soft to slightly narrow. "During that time I found out that I was a Conduit. My parents found out too...but they didn't send me to the DUP. My mother still loved me however or whatever I was. But my father only saw it as an opportunity. A week later he placed me right into an Animus. I won't lie. I've always wanted to see what it was like. So many people who've tried it can't seem to stop saying they never enjoyed 'traveling through history'. I didn't question it. How could I? He never would've let me do it otherwise and then he comes and offers like it was my birthday."

I felt a pang of pity lace across my heart. "I… you _have _been in the Animus. That hell."

She nods. "I've been in it for years. From that point up to two years ago when I was seventeen. In between the sessions he'd tried to help me develop my powers more and more but he never told me why. During the Animus sessions he only had his workers give me memories of powerful Templars and tried to brainwash me into thinking _they_ were the heroes and the Assassin's the villains."

I looked away at that point. I was starting to feel bad for her. Still, she was the child of a templar, those I was sworn to kill. It was a conflict between my training and what I'd learned in my time with Vince, my time at school, my time out in the normal world where every move you made didn't risk your life.

"I have to give it to the guy though. He played his cards smart. When he found out I was a Conduit he got greedy. He tried to convert me into a Templar even more but he made sure that I was only placed into the machine at intervals so I never suffered the Bleeding Effect. Though he never realized that when his lackey's weren't outfitting me with set memories I'd sneak and look through some of the Assassin ones. Curiosity killed the cat, right? And what I learned from them was much different than what I was being fed from the Templars. A part of me felt conflicted and I had no idea why. I guess it was after seeing what kind of people the Templars were and why he'd force me to relive those experiences, compared to the Assassins. It was only after I overheard my father talking about how he's been spending all of this time to convert me into a Templar that I had just up and left home. I didn't tell anyone. Not my best friend, not even my mom. I just...I couldn't stay there anymore. Not if it meant risking my freedom of choice."

My hand was on her shoulder in a show of solidarity and comfort. Her story had the same elements of mine woven through it and it hurt my heart to hear that someone else had been through that. "I understand," I said. Not I'm sorry, not I wish it didn't happen to you. Just the understanding of another who'd been through the same thing. "I… I'm sorry for threatening to kill you. I didn't realize." I shook my head and let out a dry chuckle. "I can't believe I just said that. I actually apologized to someone who should be my mortal enemy."

The side of her lip slightly curled upwards. "I'm sure stranger things have happened to you. Enemies becoming allies is actually a pretty common thing at times. Though I was never really an enemy to begin with."

I tossed my empty coffee cup away. It sailed across the room, two whole yards, to land directly in the trashcan. "You were a templar's child who used the Animus. That would've been good enough in the old days. Good thing it's just us girls now, huh?" I cracked a smiled and stood up, stretching. The jacket tightened against my chest as I did so and I shook my head, amused at Vince's antics.

She drunk the rest of her coffee and stood up. "I guess so. I don't really get to have any 'girl 'time" with anyone nowadays. I'm literally surrounded by only boys. And it was...nice. You know, getting that off my chest with someone who can understand."

"I wish I could get this damn jacket off my chest," I joked as the metal finished constricting, "but then again, it's under the control of a hormonal teenage guy. I'd have better odds trying to win the lottery."

She gave a small laugh as we walked out of the shop. "A hormonal teenager is controlling your jacket? And here I was thinking you just bought something a bit too small for you. Please explain."

"It's made of metal," I said as violet wings blossomed from my back and I flexed them with a smile. "My boyfriend controls metal. Honestly, it's starting to get a little _too _tight around the chest."

She took a step back and light gasped. "Wait a second, wings!? Where-what kind of power do you have anyway?"

"Ink. I don't suppose you've ever used a Blast Core?"

She managed to compose herself. "Okay. That explains the jacket and you melting all over the place. And I have used a Blast Core before. Two of them in total. I don't envy you though about the jacket. I'd kill my boyfriend if he kept doing that."

"The one I used was like six pressed into one," I said with a shake of my head. "It hurt like hell… But I got these wings. You have no idea how much Vince loves them."

"Holy hell. _Six_ into one? I've never heard of that one before. Also this Vince is the metal using boyfriend, I'm guessing."

I nodded with a grin. "Yeah." The jacket relented a little bit and I took a deep breath, letting the cool air rush into my lungs. "Thank god. I was starting to suffocate."

She just lightly laughed again. Though it wasn't anything that sounded mean or even teasing. Just genuine laughter. "It just goes to show he cares a lot for you."

"Or he just likes squeezing my boobs," I said, my grin widening in response. "I try not to give him _too _much credit. He's still a guy, after all."

"And guys' will be guys. I understand. You're not alone in _that_ regard either." She took out her phone and seemed to be observing something. She placed it back into her pocket a minute later. "Why don't we continue this in the air? It's kinda weird just seeing a girl with ink wings in the middle of the street like this. Plus I found out where one my friends is. He's basically the 'leader' of our group."

"Sure thing." I flicked my wings downward and launched myself upwards, soaring towards the top of a building where I hovered in waiting. If anything I wasn't expecting Penny to take a leap in her position and thrust her leg downward, jumping even higher into the air. The closer she got the more I could hear a small poofing sound from her feet until she was up to my height.

"You have your wings but I have my Sky Walk."

"I hope that's not a bad star wars joke."

She adopted a deadpanned look. "Oh, ha-ha."

"Use the force," I said as my wings folded and dissolved upon landing. "It just seems that friction manipulation would give you some ability to push and pull objects."

She stopped 'walking on air' and dropped from her position next to mine. She crossed her arms. "If that were the case then I guess The Flash has been holding out on us, wouldn't you agree?"

"He could always spin his arms in a reverse direction to create a suction vortex that moved an object in any direction he wanted." I shook my head in amazement. I didn't know I knew that. "I hang out with Vince too much."

"I get him using speed to pull or push by using his power like that. Maybe if I had the full packaged deal I'd toy around with it but I like what I got. Besides, I've never heard of him using his power to air walk."

"True." I looked at the door in front of us and looked back at Penny. "So where is this 'Cipher'? From what you told be he should be pretty hard to miss." I was having difficulty believing dust could be so destructive.

"Well his phone did say that he was in this location and this _is_ where we're staying during our time here. Though it's a 50/50..scratch that. It's a 95/5 that he's doing something retarded compared to being asleep."

Before she could go to turn the handle there was a big crash behind us. We both jumped slightly but turned around even faster ready to take on whoever was trying to get the drop on us. But instead of GOLIATH, Blessed or anyone else...there was a lone figure lying face down, implanted in the concrete. "I see what you mean by retarded," I said with a laugh. "But then again, Vince did get run over by a bus."

Penny gave a silent sigh and placed a hand to her forehead. She slowly dragged her palm down her face and walked over to the human-shaped crater.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing _now?_"

He gave a groan that was muffled with his face in the granite. But when he spoke it was still loud enough where I could make out words. "Ohhhh…hey Penny. I was…just...sleeping."

"That was the definition of half-assed." I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my foot, raising an eyebrow. "You messed up the landing, didn't you?"

"For YOUR information random person I was sleeping on the roof. I just didn't wake up fast enough.

I deadpanned at the figure lying in the concrete. "You're an idiot."

"Oh, he knows that." Penny said gripping the hem of his gray hoodie and pulling his upper body up. Matter of fact the majority of his clothes were gray from what I could tell. Except the spec of black of what had to be his shirt, black fingerless steel-plated gloves and black steel-toes boots. He could pass off as one hell of a biker. "Do you have to be so difficult all the time?"

"But...but I was being adventurous." He replied not even opening his eyes.

"I swear you are just so embarrassing. Look at me what I talk to you." She demanded. Man, was this guy whipped just like Vince was? I mean he'd do anything I say if I was 'persuading' enough. It's not like I ever had to demand him of anything. But I dismissed the thought right after. From her descriptions of this guy she makes it sound like he's a loose nuke instead of a canon. Not even Vince is willing to go to certain extremes if he could help it. He was already tired with this whole 'save the world bullshit' as he so happily tells me. He slowly opened his eyes and gave Penny an uninterested look. I could see that they were an unnatural shade of dull gray. Well I officially know what his trademark color is.

His face slowly adopted a goofy look the longer he stared at Penny.

"Heeeey, baby."

"Now's not the time to be acting cute. Cipher." She let go of his shirt making him faceplant into the ground again. If this were an anime I would've sweatdropped by now. He didn't even _try_ to catch himself. He broke his hands free from the ground and pushed his body up to it's full height, showing he was both shoulders and a head taller than Penny. He stretched his arms up and gave a big yawn fully displaying the Brotherhood symbol on his chest. I almost gasped again. _He's _an Assassin too? Penny didn't tell me about that! Though I'm not going to jump to conclusions like at the caffee. I'm sure there had to be a reason to that as well.

"So what'chu been doin?" He asked her with a plain look.

She crossed her arms. "What we're_ supposed_ to be doing. Investigating those reports that's been going on here. Please tell me you haven't been slacking off again."

"No. I was doin' things. You just caught me when I wasn't. I mean I got a call from Ryle though. He can't seem to find Dekker. Like he just up and disappeared."

"But he went ahead of us. Of course he would be somewhere else."

"Well _yeah_ but he's still missing. Not that I'm worried but I'm curious is all." He looked up from her position and stared right at me with a curious look. He tilted his head slightly. "Who are you anyway random person? Are chicks with swords all the rage now!? Where the hell was I?!"

"Face-down in the concrete," I sniped back with a shake of my head. This man seemed like he was on precipice between insanity and _lethal_ insanity. Hardly five seconds spent around him and I could feel the discordant vibe he gave off. "Women have always carried swords. You just never pay attention."

He blinked. "I..._really_ need to pay attention. Um, who are you now?" I looked directly into his eyes. A tempest threatened to sweep me away, so I broke the gaze. He was definitely dangerous…

"Andrea, but everyone calls me Andi." I saw his question and forestalled it with the answer. "That's with an I, not a y."

"Ooooh! Okay. 'Cause that was, uh...confusing-anyway! I'm Cipher! Hey there! I mean...it's not my name. My name's Jake but call me Cipher. Only my friends can use my real name so don't get any bright ideas. Speaking of which…"

Overconfident. That summed up his person, perhaps with the addendum of the word annoying. It couldn't be more obvious that he was staring at my chest unless his eyes projected laser beams. It didn't help that Vince's jacket was back to squeezing, either.

"So uhhhhh...you mind if I…"

Next thing I know he went up in a puff of gray dust. He just vanished from where he was standing in a deep poofing sound. "He just used substitution jutsu," I heard Vince say inside my head. I didn't really have much time to do much of anything besides widen my eyes in that moment. The moment after that I felt his breath on the back of my neck and two firm hands grabbing the hell out of my breasts and giving some experimental squeezes.

"Ahhhhhh. You have one _nice_ ass rack!" He said in a perverted tone. In my head, Vince was laughing while saying something about 'Jiraiya in the flesh'.

"Do you want no hands?" I deadpanned. "Because that's how you get no hands. You're going to be completely annoying, aren't you?" I could almost feel the stress giving me a headache. "You're not on the list, idiot. Apply the correct way and maybe I'll consider it."

He gave a very overbearing gasp said, "WHAT!? YOU HAVE A….OH MY...You's a slut?"

"Okay, I was willing to let the boobs thing go. I get it: I'm rockin' some fine B+ cups and you wanted to cop a feel." A dangerous glint came into my eye and Zhǎnshǒu slid from its sheath. "The list, for your information, is a list of who is allowed to grab hold of these majestic twin peaks. You're not on it. Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand…" I swung my arm in a lightning-fast arc. Cipher flinched-

-and looked at where his hands used to be. Nothing but small wisps of dust flowing over the stumps. He looked over to Penny and gave a look, expecting her to do something but she just crossed her arms and turned away.

"PENNY! HOW COULD YOU BE SO COLD!? SHE JUST...SHE JUST CHOPPED OFF MY DAMN HANDS!"

"You're lucky that's all she did. You just never seen to learn your lesson."

He lost his hysteric look and said calmly, "Is it because you wanted me to do that to you?" With another poof his hands were right back where they were. Cipher was next to her now… Still, I wondered if he deserved to witness my powers in the full. "'Cause...if you wanna take a little break-"

After that he was met with a gunshot to the head. I stabbed him with my hidden blades, piercing his third, fourth, and sixth lumbar before driving an elbow into his face. Chances were, he wouldn't be seriously hurt… but damn if it didn't feel good to vent my frustration. Penny grabbed his face, swept his legs under him and with her other gun, applied by the force of her arm, shot-slammed his head in the ground, making it crack. I nodded in appreciation.

He coughed. "So something tells me that's a 'no', huh baby?"

She looked to me. "For the record I never let him get away with that. You'd be surprised on how daily this is."

"I don't think I would…" A smirk came to my lips and I combed my hair back with a hand. "He reminds me of Jiraiya. Or rather, he reminds me that someone would compare him to the 'pervy sage of legend'." I tossed in air quotes and a dubious look on my face to express that I really had no idea what the hell that meant. The only manga I read was Bleach.

Penny on the other hand managed to give a chuckle and a small sigh. I guess she knew the meaning. Great, now I feel kinda left out. "One of our friends, Ryle, says that a lot. Though he compares him to other perverts. Sometimes Ci's in a league of his own. It get's really irritating if you ask me."

"Penny.." We both looked down to him. Now his expressions was blank again. Seriously, how manner emotions does this guy go through in 3 seconds? "She lets other niggas touch her fun bags. Why don't _you_ let other niggas touch your fun bags? I wouldn't mind….for a second. Before I kill them. It'd be fun to see...again, before I kill them."

On reflex I slit his throat with my sword. Vince had this thing about people throwing the word 'nigga' around… and Cipher looked pretty damn white to me.

"If anyone ever does it," he told me, completely serious, "Slit their throat, call them a fuccboi, and bang their mom." I'd skip over the last part for my own sanity.

"You're the biggest fuccboi I've met so far," I said with a shake of my head. It was hard not to grin at his outraged expression. "And yeah, that's with two c's and an i."

Penny looked at me in surprise. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute Andi. It's nothing like that. I mean he's a jerk and all but he's-"

"I'm half-black, yo. Yes...I have the right to say it." He finished for her, while dust was swarming his neck.

"Oh…" I shrugged. "Sorry, but I can't un-slit your throat."

"It's okay. You're seriously not the first person who didn't get it. I don't look very black at all, do I?" His neck healed as well as the other injuries we inflicted on him. He burst into dust before he was on his feet. "Don't think much about it anymore." Now he gave me a grin. Not that creepy perverted one from earlier. Well...it _was_ creepy but it sure wasn't in a sexual manner. "But clap, clap, claaap. You got some impressive reactions there. Didn't think you'd say thing like that."

"My boyfriend of four years is black… He gave me a crash course on black culture and I forced him to learn Japanese subconsciously. Fair trade."

"You know Japanese? And you forced Vince to learn it? Wow. That's pretty hardcore." Penny said impressed. Cipher still kept his grin.

"I'ma have to meet your boyfriend. Sounds like a fun guy. And I learned another language too!"

"I doubt your brain has enough space for another language." My lips twisted into a smile as I put my sword away. "You seem to be having enough trouble with English as is. And yes, I forced him to learn it. I kidnapped him while he slept, strapped him to a chair, and forced him to watch twenty-four hours of lights and sound designed for subliminal conditioning."

Penny adopted a surprised look. Even more so than before but she stayed silent. Cipher was still grinning as if he knew something that I didn't. The next sentence out of his mouth _certainly_ didn't sound like anything I was familiar with.

"Zu'u aal kos hinzaal nuz Zu'u los ruth bek tol hi vust neh tinvaak med daar. Can you or your boyfriend speak like that, honey?"

"That's not a real language… Asking me that is like asking se é un viado maciza."

"The fact that it's a language that doesn't exist means that not everyone can even learn it and I'm sure _no one_ mastered it. Anyone can learn Japanese. But when you hear some Dovahzul you're not gonna know how to act." He said with confidence, not even caring to wonder about what I had just said to him. "Besides, Dovahzul is fun."

I resisted the urge to facepalm, failed, and gave in momentarily. I could only handle so much stupidity and Cipher filled up the quota like no one else I knew. He was about to receive the full brunt of my wrath. "Okay, here's the deal." I cracked my knuckles. "You can heal from almost anything, which means I get to vent my rage on you. I have a special ability, as cheesy as that sounds, and I haven't used it in the longest time. You seem like enough of a basement dweller to watch anime… have you been keeping up with Bleach?" A sinister smile spread across my face as I called up the power that I'd kept hidden for so long, the strength thrumming in my chest like a heavy bass riff.

He leaned his head back while Penny seemed to gain some distance. "Yeeaaaaaaah. Why? What's gonna happen?"

"Well then you already know what I can do. One word: Vollständig." My wings shot from my back and a blob of ink splattered on his chest, and I smiled, raising my fingers in preparation to snap.

"Ohhh… myyyy….. yo. That's kinda fucked up." He said looking to his shirt and then to me.

A snap and I blew a hole clean through his chest. I won't lie, that felt _amazingly _good to use after hiding it for so long. Not that I was actually a Quincy, despite my surname. That was just a funky coincidence that I fangirled over when no one was looking. But, I could make things explode. Whatever my ink touches, I can blow up. "I'd make the comparison between me and Bambietta, but I'm no ditzy slut."

He fell to his knees as his eyes went wide. He raised his hands slowly to where his chest was. The most dust swarming around the guy that I had seen, since meeting him. I couldn't help but feel even better with myself knowing that I managed to shut this guy up for longer than five seconds. He gasped once, twice and then...his chest reformed. That was all the confirmation that I needed… while I was unable to kill him I could make his life a living hell. That was the better of two options.

"Yo. That...was...the SHIT!" He hopped to his feet and placed his fists in front of his face like a fanboy. "Bleach shit! I didn't know there were others who could do things from anime! I got a very GOOD one if ya' wanna-"

He found himself covered in ink, head to toe. "I wonder how long it'll take for you to re-form?" I asked in a ditzy tone of voice, giving him an innocent look while my chin rested in my left palm. "Let's find out!"

Snap.

Boom. I had to liquefy for that one… I'd forgotten just how powerful my explosions were. With the same innocent look I turned to Penny. "Whoops! My fingers slipped."

She smiled at me. "Well then I guess I've got butter fingers, huh? It's such a bad habit. Feels good though, right?"

I nodded enthusiastically, keeping with the ditzy front that I put on. "Oh yeah! I feel amaaazing. Really, really," I inched closer and grabbed Penny in a hug before she could react, "really good!" I made sure to mash our faces together and rub my chest against hers for added effect. In retrospect I may have overdone it because Cipher came back in a split second with a trickle of blood dripping from his nose and a big pervy grin on his face again. I didn't know that that was even possible… watching two hot chicks get close should not cause nosebleeds unless you're in an Anime/bad fanfiction.

Cipher teleported right next to us and wrapped each of us in a single arm. He forcefully pulled us apart with an insane amount of strength I didn't think someone of his build had. Though I could feel the muscles in his left arm as proof. With both of us at each side he groped my left boob in his left hand and Penny's right boob in his right. I did him the favor of exploding his right hand before driving my knee into his crotch.

"Not on the list."

With him on the ground Penny ran a finger across his wrist, slicing his other hand clean off. Must've been that sharpness manipulation she told me about. I'm still wondering how she could fight with something you couldn't drain or project. I also have next to no idea what she can really do with it. Cipher sighed.

"Aww. You girls are mean. I was just having some fun is all."

I glared at him in an attempt to burn holes in his forehead before deciding to beat him at his own game. "That is not fun. This is fun." I grabbed Penny and pulled her into one hell of a french kiss, right hand on her boob and left cupping her ass for good measure. Silently, I hoped she wouldn't try and decapitate me for trying to out-Cipher Cipher. I'm not Deadpool. I need my head for things. I heard her gasp and felt her chest quickly rise from the act. When I felt her hands move up behind my back I got prepared to be stabbed with fingers debatably sharper than knives; but was mildly surprised (and just a little glad) that she just hugged back and returned the kissing. She even moaned slightly,

I could almost hear Vince. "You didn't record that for me? Damn, at least I got you a video of me and Ravey! What kinda gf are you?! I WANNA SEE MY GIRLFRIEND LEZ OUT DAMMIT-" And let's never go down that train of thought ever again, ever. I don't have a video of him and Raven doing certain things that may or may not be each other.

Penny seemed to be getting more into the act now as her own hand moved to my rear. Cipher gave the biggest gasp I ever heard. Sliding my glance over to him both of his nostrils were bleeding and he had a dazed look on his face before he tilted back and nearly passed out with a dazed look on his face and a big toothy grin. With that grin I was able to see he had slightly sharpened teeth. Conduit or not that isn't normal.

"I...am...so...lucky." He said. Anything after that was useless giggling that a man like him shouldn't have been capable of doing. But really, I was enjoying myself too much at that point to care… maybe I _should _make a video for Vince. But Penny was getting _into _it and setting up a camcorder would've been too much work that I didn't want to do because, _god_, she was a great kisser and other hand was tangled in my hair. Vince and I both have a _thing _about hair and damn if it wasn't getting hard to think as she bit my bottom lip. I may or may not have moaned and ground my hips against her leg which rested between mine.

Penny slowly broke from the kiss and had a very noticeable blush on her face. She slowly moved her hands to my back and looked away from me while taking a step back.

"I...sorry. I think I just got too into that."

"That's not a bad thing." My voice was far too husky for my own good… and I couldn't help but notice that she hadn't moved her hands despite. stepping back. She just needed a push… "Hey Cipher. What's a sweet spot I should know about?"

The dazed dust head slowly rose a finger. "She loves...when her lower back's teased." His hand dropped right after that and my fingers adjusted accordingly to begin kneading the small of Penny's back. The idiot was good for something after all. I pulled her closer, resting my head teasingly against the crook of her neck, letting my hot breath crawl across her skin. She gasped and jerked forward, craning her head into my own neck and lightly moaned.

"D-d-don't d-do that."

"This?" I pinched her lightly and nipped at her flawless skin. "You mean I shouldn't do this?"

This time she gave a small squeal and clenched my back harder. My hands slipped under her shirt and dextrously worked her back while I moved from her neck to her earlobe. I bit gently and pulled, just enough to tease and not enough to hurt. She began to lightly shake and tingle before she gave a big gasp. Her fingers clenched one more time before she found the will to tear herself away from me. I gave her puppy eyes, pleading for her not to end the fun.

"I'm just...sorry. But I'm not...I can't. You know?" She looked to Cipher who rolled to his side., while rubbing her arm. "No matter _what_ that idiot is into or what he says, he's still _my _idiot. I'd be betraying him if I tried to do something like that. I know he wouldn't with another girl, even if he is a dumb perv." She gave small smile. "Besides he really wouldn't forgive me if I went behind his back like that."

"It's hard to go behind his back when he's passed out in front of us," I said with a laugh. "But it's fine, my boyfriend and I are just a little different when it comes to our relationship. He can bang guys and I can score girls…" I might've gone a little starry-eyed thinking about him and Raven. It was cute _and _hot, in the best of all the ways.

"W-wow. An open relationship, then?" She said. "That's kinda funny. I personally can't stand those. I think that two people should only be with each other, no matter who it is."

"Not open." My eyes shifted from starry to steely in a second. "He is _not _allowed other girls. Oh, and yeah, no guys for me. I personally think we each get off too much on the idea of the each of us doing gay stuff. Then again, he was nice enough to give me that video…"

Penny holds her hands out. "Okay! I don't want to know anything about that! Really".

"Yeah, I figured." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. "Maybe we should get counselling, but that's not fair to the counselor. No one should have to deal with all of our issues."

"Well then I guess we're kinda the same a little in that regard. Cipher's obviously a tease to other women. Even if they're in relationships he doesn't really care. He knows how upset it makes me but he once told me that was cute. Sometimes I tease him back. I don't need to do much, guys will come to me at times. But Cipher's a bit of a dunce. He'll think I'm really flattered and then proceed to destroy something or destroy that guy's face. I stop him from doing anything awful to the guy but you know what I mean. As much as he grates my nerves he really does care for me. Maybe a bit _too_ much but it's still sweet."

Cipher yawned and turned to us. He stretched out all his limbs before falling to his back, snoring. The blood was gone from his nose too. Penny went over and picked him up, before maneuvering him to her back. His head rested on her left shoulder and he took a deep whiff of her hair. His face broke out into another smile

"Mmmmm. Strawberries. My Penny." He wrapped his arms around her neck and kept that happy look. He then mumbled, "Mines. I'll kill a bitch."

Penny smiled to him and looked to me. "Maybe you don't tell your boyfriend about Cipher groping you and everything. I just don't want Vince to attack him and...not saying he's weak...but Cipher is just too 'unpredictable' when he get's Battle Lust."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna kill him." Unbelievable. Vince had been hiding behind a Prius the entire time, and by the grin on his face I could tell he had video. "I mean, I might use this," he whipped out a book that _definitely_ belonged to Alice, "and trigger a nuclear-" He stopped and winced, cradling his head. "Yeah, I have your book _and_ I have a question." He shrugged and went silent. "If you find me I'll trigger the nuke. Also, why the hell is there a harem on page 69? Alice? Aliiice?" He shook his head and rolled his eyes before coming over and putting an arm around my shoulders with a toothy grin. "Really, now. I thought Alice of all people was better than that. Seriously though, Ci. Touch Andi again and I will do the nuke thing regardless of my own safety." He squeezed he and planted a kiss on my forehead. "She's worth that to me."

Cipher groaned and slowly opened his eyes and craned them to Vince. He gave a low groan and closed them back. "Sucks ass for you."

"Oh." My boyfriend blinked slowly, then flipped open the book. "I guess I'll have to use page 69. Death by Harem. Or maybe page eleventy three: Zombie Infestation. This book is hella dangerous."

His face sunk more into Penny's neck. "Too comfortable to kick your ass. Leave me alone."

"Yes! total immunity," Vince cheered, pumping his fist and accidentally triggering the sixty-ninth page that he just _happened _to have the book open to.

"Damn it, Vince." I love him to death but sometimes I swear I could kill him. I opted for burying my face in my hands.

Penny gave him a blank stare before looking to me. "Your boyfriend, huh?"

I nodded morosely while I tried to ignore just what was happening around us… or in front of us… or to us… no matter how good those roaming hands or the soft lips pressed against my neck felt. "Unfortunately."

Cipher's face rose from Penny's neck as he tilted backward, before giving a moan. He fell into the arms of a few… I don't know what to call them. Harem members, I suppose. Alice and I were also going to have a talk about letting my irresponsible boyfriend steal her books.

"This ain't so bad. Penny...you should try this. But let a dude touch my ass and I'm killing _so many_ of these assholes. I think turning into dust would be a cool way to go."

"I agree," Vince said as leaned back, copying Cipher's position. "Except for the guy part. They're pretty cute, I think."

"Yeah, I heard. You take it up the ass."

"No… I _give _it up the ass." Vince sat up, twinkling mischief. "I'll be happy to push your shit in for ya."

"Gay, but you don't gotta lie. There's no shame in it. And if you were to try to top _me..._well let's just say there's a side of me you don't want to get to know."

"Oh… that's the guy who dommed Eddie isn't it?" Vince rolled over to me and we were cuddled, groped, and caressed together. It was the epitome of weird shit, and I do not say that lightly. Some sort of pavilion had appeared, and the four of us were spread out on a gigantic circle bed.

"Who? Plus how do you know about that part of me? However you do, I'm serious. You _really_ don't wanna get to know that guy."

"Would you two stop arguing for ten seconds so I can enjoy this?" I asked in a mumble. Those hands just took my stress and melted it away… god, that massage was amazing. The hands worked out kinks in muscles I didn't know I had.

"I agree~. Ohhh, wow." Penny said, actually letting the weird stuff and people do their thing. She must've been feeling the stress too.

"Awww….baby. But this guy with the whack power doesn't know nothing about nothing."

"YOU WHAT ABOUT MY POWER, BITCH NIGGA?!" Vince flipped to the nuke.

And that's how we all learned what being forced back in time felt like. Vince glared at the book and I'm sure he was swearing at Alice in his head.

He _would_ be in the doghouse, but triggering a nuke was honestly not the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Diving head-first into the Animus to come and rescue my ancestor and by proxy, me… I still haven't chewed him out enough on what a bad idea that was. "Don't do it again Luc," I said blithely as I worked up more stress for the hands to melt as I rested in the cloudlike bed.

Cipher was busy looking around at everything in a curious childlike manner. "What the fuck was that? We blew up...now we're here? Was that...was that Chaos Control?"

"Alice sucked the explosion into the book." Vince and I said at the same time. He looked over from his own massage and gave me that dorky smile. I melted a little bit and this time it wasn't because of the massage.

"That was Chaos Control." He said but Penny slapped him in the head. I raised an eyebrow.

"Can you go be stupid somewhere else?"

"I would but Ryle isn't here yet."

Alice snatched the book back, from nowhere. A light pink dusted her cheeks. "Vincent, never touch my books again." Gone in a flash, before anyone could start asking questions.

Vince snuggled closer and closed his eyes. "So, anyone else wondering why the fuck this is happening? Might just be some Itachi genjutsu shit, and we're standing around like idiots blocking traffic."

"You mean Kyoka Suigetsu," I corrected while flicking his nose. "Bleach references only, Luc."

"I'm kinda hoping that isn't the case. I hate being embarrassed." Penny said. She then began to lightly blush as I assumed she thought back to our 'special moment'. I was secretly hoping that I could tease her again… I'm sure that Vince and Cipher wouldn't have minded.

"Oh yeah." Vince pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. "Ci, holla at me with your number so I can text ya the vid."

Cipher smiled and pulled out his phone. "Bitch. Gimme." Unfortunately for the two of them, I grabbed Vince's phone and snapped it in half. "Whoops. I'm just clumsy today, I guess."

"Andi! Come on!" He groaned and pretended to be upset while I just rolled my eyes.

"Why bother pretending?" I asked with a casual shrug. "I know you pulled the sim card." Penny cleared her throat and interrupted the both of us.

"Hey, um...completely out of nowhere question but have either of you two seen a _particular_ animal around or something? Like a big, white bear?"

Vince did a double take and did the thing he always does when lying: quote something stupid. "Acid. Not even once."

I slid over to Penny and solidified next to her, cuddling to her chest. Sure, we'd never sleep together… but I'd take what I could get. Penny seemed a bit uncomfortable but she slowly lost tension. She made sure to not look Cipher in the eye though. It didn't matter, he and Vince were too busy high-fiving like idiots.

"But really. You sure you haven't seen something like that. We kinda need him."

Vince just shook his head. "I certainly didn't abuse the powers of cosmic bullshit to help a spirit bear find and bang a polar bear. Oh, and there was no Russian Elsa either. Hell no. That was just one really bad trip."

Cipher and Penny stood up from their spots in a rush, looking dead at Vince. Well Penny looked. Cipher was somehow in front of him holstering him in the air.

"He's where and with who!? Kanisha and Kayn!? What!? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO, YOU BITCH!?"

"Jesus!" Vince pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and disappeared. Oh, he was gonna get it from Alice. No one damages her books. He popped back behind me, cowering slightly. Or pretending to cower. I wasn't sure at this point. "For fuck's sake dude do you have any idea how much acid I dropped that night? I didn't know any of that was… oh, wait. I did. Stupid fucking bear." His eyes narrowed and he raised the paper again. "Gonna go kick his ass. Follow the explosions." He popped out and I facepalmed again. He had to go and ruin a nice thing.

Penny facepalmed as well and Cipher just stood there before throwing his head back laughing like the psychopath he is.

"Joke's on him! Dekker will destroy things he hates! I can't wait to see his face when-"

Vince came back a few seconds later looking mentally scarred. "Oh. My. Fuck. I'm so knocking next time," he said, covering his eyes.

"You need Kristil to do another mind job on you?" I asked, patting the top of his head in sympathy. I pretty much figured out what he walked into… two bears. Doing things. Cipher's upper body jerked forward and he seemed as if he was gonna die of laughter.

"AND YOU CAUGHT 'EM BOTH- AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! HE'LL _DISINTEGRATE _YOU FOR THAT!"

"I'm stealing the nuke back for my own safety," Vince muttered as he popped in and out again.

Penny held a hand out to him. "Vince, please. This is a force you can't win against. Just leave it where it is."

"Sure, sure…" he held a different book, a red one. "Um… This isn't my book, but check out page 57!" He flipped before I could stop him.

"No." Alice was there in an instant, furious. "Vincent if you so much as think about triggering that book I will show you the true meaning of pain. Hand it over." Vince did with a sheepish grin, and Alice snatched it back before disappearing entirely.

Penny pointed to the area where she just was. "Who was that just now?"

"If I had to guess she was that one with the book powers." Cipher replied. "Wait, was she the one that stopped that nuke?"

I nodded and folded my arms. "Yes. She's got powers that can be pretty intense but even she has limits. We're just not entirely sure what they are yet."

"Ha! I know the feeling!" He rose a hand as wisps of dust circled it. "I still think I can get stronger. Though I don't think others would like that. Said I'm 'too destructive'."

"Cipher, if I had to choose between a nuke and yourself I'd choose the nuke one hundred times." Penny deadpanned with her own arms crossed.

"Are you still upset about those random three towns being wiped off the map? I _told_ you, that was Zero. Not me."

"I'm speaking in general here." She replied quickly. Vince laughed to himself and I gave him a questioning look. He mouthed the word 'later' at me and went back to just barely keeping an amused grin off his face.

"Awww, whatever. Anyway, I've had my share of fun for a few minutes. I'ma go eat, find Ryle and then go have some more fun around the city. Staying in one place like this makes it feel kinda small though. I miss traveling over the states." He looked at Penny. "You wanna come with?"

She shook her head with a smirk. "Unlike some people I need to rest. I've had enough excitement for a little bit."

"For the next year," I said with a head shake. In the back of my mind I was itching to go grab a copy of Bleach and see if we had, in fact, messed with canon. I hoped not. While it was fun, I liked my story the way it was: with all it's new villains relatively intact.

Cipher shrugged. "Alright. I'll let you know if I find Orion or Lamont too. Who knows where those two are?" Cipher clapped his hands and faced towards and area of the ground none of us were standing at. "Construct: Renzor." A mass of dust rose up from the ground and took form until it was shaped into a 6 foot tall wolf made out of dust. Around it's neck was a collar with a dust pendant. 'RZ' was scratched into the oval-shaped tag.

"Hey Renz! I need you to take me places, 'kay?" Cipher exclaimed like a happy child that had just gotten a new puppy. The dust wolf, Renzor apparently, leaned down and began to give big licks across Cipher's face leaving trails of dust instead of saliva, which his skin absorbed. He smiled and hugged him around the neck. "Haha! I love ya' too buddy!"

"I thought hopping around AU's was crazy," Vince said with a shake of his head. "And now you go and remind me that nope, crazy is just part of my fucking life. If you all don't mind, I'm going to write this off as an acid trip."

"You're dumb as fuck." Cipher said before hopping onto Renzor's back.

"Say that again." Vince pulled_ another_ book out of his pocket with a grin. "I wanna see what this one does."

Cipher gave him an unamused look. I was sure he wasn't going to open his mouth after the entire ordeal that we had just gone through from two of these books before. I was wrong.

"First of all, you need to stop saying shit if you can't back the shit up. You wanna fight me don't use someone else's shit. Second of all, you're getting on my nerves. You _really_ seem to think that you're equal to me, huh? How irritating. I better go before I do something that gets the guys upset at me again."

"Well this one was a bluff," Vince admitted. "It's just blank. But if you wanna fight I'm down. Nothing else to do today, and maybe if you punch me hard enough I'll forget that this ever happened."

"YOU!" Vince jumped a foot in the air as a polar bear… sorry, _SPIRIT _bear landed behind him. "YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, HUMAN!"

"BRING IT BITCH NIGGA! NOT MY FAULT YOU COULDN'T LOCK THE DAMN DOOR!"

"WELL IT'S NOT _MY _FAULT THAT YOU'RE TOO DUMB AS SHIT TO HAVE THE DECENCY TO _KNOCK_!"

The two clashed with a a huge explosion and I sighed, facepalming.

"It was nice meeting you, Penny. We'll have to have coffee again sometime." My wings flicked open and I flew as far as I could from the insanity that my life had become.

"Hm. Well she was nice." Penny said with a faint flush. She looked over to where Dekker and Vince were fighting, silently hoping that Dekker wouldn't go to any extremes with his energy attacks. Cipher and Renzor bounded off to wherever they were going and she hoped that he wouldn't have a mass of enemies OR allies on his ass. Else it would become another one of those Monday mornings. With a shake of her head she turned and walked into their current place of residence.

I would've helped Vince fight, but…. something told me he deserved that.


	27. Chapter 27: Not an Authors Note

Yeah, not sure I'm gonna finish this one.

Maybe sometime in the future. We'll see.

~Kole


	28. Chapter 28: Grave Circumstances

**So I lied about the Hiatus? Idk, this stuff was all written awhile ago, just gonna upload it I guess.**

**~Kole**

I was sitting in front of a headstone, legs crossed, head in my hands. Today blew and I needed to talk to someone about it. Why not my dead mom?

It's only kinda weird if you think about it. Dead men (or women, in this case) tell no tales so I could basically say whatever the fuck I want… though I'd probably tone it down now that I knew there was an afterlife. Or not. She didn't like it when I swore but she always told me if I felt the need to, I should.

"Keeping emotions pent up isn't healthy," she'd say with her kind smile as she ruffled my hair.

Still, it made me feel at ease, talking to her. She cared for me so well in life our bond transcends the barrier, y'know? Real corny shit that's actually true. I still… the guilt from the crash was still there, so coming here was kinda hard.

I killed her.

Not really. Well, I feel like I did. It was late and she was picking me up from a friend's. Long story short, car with a drunk driver hit us at like sixty mph going the wrong way on the freeway.

I was fine. She wasn't. The hell could I control metal for if I couldn't move one measly car out of the way?

"That's what I blame myself the most for, y'know? I would've traded my life for yours to atone for that damn mistake that cost you _your _life. It was totally my fault, totally avoidable, and think about it makes me remember that I'm really not worth it. If you'd just aborted me then you wouldn't have died that night." I'd said that before but I wanted to get it off my chest again. Every time I came, I couldn't help but feel like the most worthless scumbag.

"If you were around," I said aloud, not looking up, "You'd tell me I was worth it. That I was the best decision you ever made. That you didn't mind marrying dad. Well, he might've not have been a total sadist to you but that was a lie. You two were okay, but there was no love there." I shook my head in affirmation as I looked up. Aleksandra Camille Tate, beloved mother and wife. We miss you dearly, the headstone read. My mother. I remember when she explained her name.

"My father taught Russian," she said with a gentle laugh, trying to hide the pain and the fact that she hadn't talked to him once in twelve years. "He insisted on that spelling. My grandma didn't like it. What kind of name was Aleksandra for a black girl?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead while mustering up the courage to keep going. "Sorry I haven't visited in a while, mom… lemme tell you how I fucked up today."

* * *

><p>Hours passed and it got dark. I just wrapped my arms around myself and called up a small ball of molten metal to keep me warm as I kept talking. It started as the day's events but spilled over into everything that the past year encompassed. All the fuckery that my life had become was laid at the feet of my deceased mother, and I shit you not I could feel my burden lightening as I did so. Talking about your problems to a dead person might make you seem crazy. But at this point, I didn't give a fuck. I glared at the guy who told me it was time to leave but didn't threaten him beyond showing him my orb of glowing metal.<p>

Mom hated violence, what with her being a doctor and all. Funny that she would marry my dad, who I was sure didn't have a career other than being an evil scheming despot.

She would've been so disappointed when I got suspended for fighting at school. Through middle school, I routinely kicked the ass of anyone who dared to make a joke about her being dead or worse, told me she died because of me. Not that anyone knew I was a conduit; I barely understood what that was at the time but I knew enough not to bring it up at all.

By the time I hit high-school, I vented most of my rage on my father who was now beating the shit out of me on the daily in our training sessions. I'd also kicked enough asses to gain some serious respect, especially after putting three kids in the hospital for a passing comment in the hallway.

They gave me a counsellor after I supposedly vandalized the school… never did figure out why everyone blamed me, but they just did. I didn't care.

"You should talk about your feelings," the middle-aged, bespectacled woman told me.

"Would you talk to a complete stranger?" I shot back before staring out the window and not talking for the rest of the session.

Then came the thing with the framed carjacking. My dad got me out of that one and now I know exactly how. I was proven innocent after like four months of legal bullshit, but my reputation was in the shitter again. Not to mention that the people who framed me were my supposed 'friends', the 'tough' crowd. I put three guys in wheelchairs and one on life-support because back then no one fucked with me and got away with it. Never got caught, either.

Sophomore year I mellowed out with the addition of weed to my daily routine. Made some actual friends that year too, but the real kicker was Andi. Met her that and goddamn, I never looked back. I fell fuckin' hard, and maybe that was because I was used to having a new girlfriend every week or maybe it was because I knew on some deeper level that we would hit it off.

My dad 'died' over the summer in a plane crash and I was so fuckin' happy. Those tears at his funeral were tears of joy.

Start of junior year Andi and I were official. I was now back to beating the shit out people regularly. The difference was that it was now any guy who dared to look at her for longer than necessary. She put a stop to that by kicking _my _ass and breaking my arm along with eight ribs. I found out about the conduit thing after… it really didn't save my pride but if I'm honest I needed the beating. Nothing else really happened. We were kids, we dicked around and had fun.

Senior year was easy. I passed with straight A's and prom was one of the best nights of my life, because of what came after.

Well, I wasn't going to break up with Andi _now_. If anything I loved her more, not for the sex but for the fact that she opened up to me. _Me._ I actually did something that I could be proud of.

And then graduation came. I tossed my cap higher than everyone else and kissed Andi with everything I had. That picture was in the local paper, much to her mortification. I owned it, man. Who cared? She was mine and I was hers, that's how it worked. We both got into every college we applied to. I skipped out on USC, UCLA and MIT to go to Purdue with her. She skipped out on Oxford and Yale to go to Purdue with _me. _It was kinda funny, the way we both knew what school we were going to.

Summer was a blast. Sex, drugs, and EDM, or electronic dance music for you uneducated fools. Our lives were basically an enthusiastic re-enactment of Woodstock… and then _they_ came.

DUP. Yeah, they were around, but no waves were made in our small town hidden out in the desert of California.

Augustine herself showed up looking for us. Two powerful conduits can only fly under the radar for so long I guess.

Andi was the one to take initiative. She stabbed Augustine in the hand with a goddamn butter knife and dragged me out the back door. I loved her for that. It was crazy badass.

We ran for a cool seven months. I robbed every jewellery store I came across blind, and then after almost getting caught I learned that my badass girlfriend was an equally badass and feared assassin.

Then Abstergo started trying to get us. I don't like talking about that… but I'm pretty sure I've killed enough Templars to be an honorary member of the brotherhood.

Yeah, then fate caught up with us at the Canadian border. Augustine KO'd me with a boulder to the back of the head when I wasn't looking. I told Andi to run, because no way in hell was I giving up the last living member of the brotherhood to the fuckin' Templars, and no way in hell was the conduit girl I loved going to Curdun Cay.

She came back for me. I heard that it was a literal massacre, and the only thing that stopped her was Augustine herself. I was proud when I woke up in concrete shackles.

And then came the six months where I ran lab rat style tests. My bloodlust was gone for a long while, honestly. It didn't even come back for Augustine. Sure, I wanted to kill her, but I didn't beat down the other prisoners I was allowed to see as a way of venting. I didn't take any pleasure killing those fake dupes Eugene made. Maybe a little, actually. I took pleasure in pissing off Ed that one time. And I was always trying to break out to save Andi from the crazy Templars. Until Augustine told me about a death squad. I stopped then.

And that brings me up to about now. Another six months of absolute crazy.

Nearly two years of insanity. If I could retire early I would.

It was morning the next day when I woke up. I'd been leaning up against the headstone, evidently having fallen asleep sometime during all my storytelling. "Thanks for listening, Mom," I said with a yawn as I stretched myself out, feeling my body ache. "But I gotta run." With a sad smile, I got up to my feet and fumbled around in my pocket for the page. Unfolding it, I gave this place one last look… and decided I could stay a while longer. _Stopping by the Carrows couldn't hurt. _With a shrug I walked away, using my metal to fix the holes in my vest and shirt. My J's were still fresh as hell and un-touched by the battle. If Dekker had stepped on those I might've actually killed him.

Some white guy would probably step on them because I had no luck. Going down the grassy hill, I called up my new liquid metal and surfed a small tide down to the bottom, using the liquid alloy to skate like I was using the grav-boots from Jupiter Ascending.

Horrible movie, cool tech. I bent the metal fence with a flick of my wrist and skated on through like I was on ice, not even leaving a trail of metal or scorched sidewalk. Not gonna lie, it was pretty fun to whiz around my old hometown, hands in my pockets and head tilted towards the sky.

I cut it out when I got close to the restaurant. No more DUP but someone might call the cops so I just walked like a normal human. I sat myself at a booth and twiddled my thumbs while looking out the window and whistling a song that had been stuck in my head for a while.

"Hi, welcome to Carrows," A female voice said. The girl sounded bored out of her mind. "Can I take your… Vince?"

I flinched and looked over to see my friend, Alexis Vaccarella. She still had the same long hair that passed her shoulders, even if it was green now instead of red. Her eyes still crinkled the same way when she smiled and she rocked the stupid uniform. She was the same tan, a few shades darker than golden brown toast, but she was a few inches taller than when I left. Oh, she was wearing heels, nevermind. Her face was a little less like a sharp oval, it had more padding than before.

If she wasn't a lesbian we probably would've dated back in high school. Just saying I would've totally smashed. Now, I just kinda saw one of my friends grown up. I nodded in answer to her question. "Yo. I'm back."

"Really? That's _all_ you have to say?" She shook her head with a disbelieving grin as she slid into the booth across from me. "What kind of shitty one-liner is that?"

"I've had a shitty day," I said with a wry grin. "I'm really not at the top of my game."

She reached across the table to pick at one of the many holes in my vest that was slowly being filled with metal fibers. "You look like you just crawled of out a warzone."

"I got Kamehameha'd into the ground by a fucking Spirit Bear." She deadpanned at me and I just nodded. "No, I'm not kidding. He put a hole in my chest and everything." I half-expected her to make a Bleach joke, but that was Andi's thing. "It's healed now, don't sweat."

"Like I was worried," she said with a grin as she got up and whipped out a notepad. "Now, you have to order or I'm gonna have to kick you out. Boss doesn't like freeloaders."

"What?" I patted my pockets down and found that I was without my wallet. "Can I pay in gold? Cause my wallet might be at home…" The look on Alexis' face was incredulous as she absentmindedly chewed on the end of her pen.

"You don't have a wallet but you carry gold. Riiight."

"Conduit, remember? I've got like a metric ton of the stuff coating my bones, or wherever the hell all that metal goes." I flicked my hands and spilled molten gold which coalesced into two quarter-sized coins. "Guess I'll get the grand slam."

"That's Denny's, asshole." She gave me a half grin, half glare expression that just confused me. "You've been coming here since kindergarten and you still don't know what's on the damn menu?"

"Well then just give me a generic breakfast combo." I grinned and Alexis just sighed, clicking her pen.

"How do you want your eggs?"

* * *

><p>One generic breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs later I was feeling a little better. Alexis and I just chatted away about nothing and everything that came to mind.<p>

"A sword tornado?"

"Fuck yeah, it was pretty badass."

"But you still got your ass handed to you?"

"Yep." I sighed and slammed my forehead against the table. "Fuck that bear, man. I'll kick his ass eventually."

Alexis shook her head and grinned at me. "So if he's Goku then you're on some Vegeta shit." My facedesking intensified as I was relegated to be the foil for a main character. Can it be facedesking if I'm using a table?

"I don't know why I bother," I said with a groan. I heard Alexis giggle and resisted the urge to bash my head against the table any more. It'd probably crack under my metal skin and then I'd have to cough up more gold… wait, no I wouldn't.

Alexis flicked the top of my head with the pen. "Someone has to do it, and I'm not down to fight a polar bear. You're the overpowered metahuman, pendejo."

"You don't even speak spanish," I grumbled in vain as Alexis took pleasure in my shortcomings as the black Vegeta. "I don't know why I bothered stopping for anything to eat." In a flash, I was on my feet, tugging on the folds of my vest. "Actually, Andi's probably worried right now. I kinda did teleport out with no explanation."

A friendly punch on the shoulder told me I was right. "You can't just leave your girl like that, foo." Alexis tried to cheer me up with the worst Vato impression I'd ever heard. "And wait, teleport? I thought you only did metal!"

I smiled back and pulled the creased and wrinkled page from my pocket. "Check this out." A thought and I was gone.

Ah, Seattle didn't change in the half-day I was missing… and I was standing on top of a hill. My feet hit the pavement as I started running, calling up the liquid metal so I could surf/skate my way down while weaving in and out of traffic. It was weird to watch the people in their cars, going to work and doing normal people things while I was probably gonna go out and get my ass handed to me again in an effort to save the world from _something_. Why me? We have Green Lantern and a Reader from Inkheart rolling on our team.

_I'd say she's no longer with us, but I'm not a fan of euphemisms. _Alice again, _Coraline's dead_… wait what? No, that couldn't be right.

_She sacrificed herself in an effort to kill Kessler. It seems to have been successful. _Alice's tone was completely deadpan… so I figured she was hurting, bad.

_I'm sorry…_

_It was necessary. _The connection was severed and this time the act of 'hanging up' didn't leave me with ringing ears or a splitting headache. I launched up, metal solidifying into a pillar and propelling me onto the train tracks, which I took over to the neon district. There was a small hole in the wall that served killer jasmine tea. I know, I know. I should be drowning my sorrows in something manly, like whiskey, but if Uncle Iroh can drink tea and be badass then so can I.

I left the place with a thick paper cup and some steaming jasmine. I also picked up a new phone for cheap and had earbuds jammed in. I was in a rather brooding mood and didn't feel like heading home just yet. The sky was grey and overcast, a far cry from where I'd been a half-hour before. taking a sip of my tea, I wondered what was the most normal delinquent thing to without using my powers. _Spraypaint? That's kinda Delsin's thing… but I could give it a shot if I wanted to._ Still, it didn't feel right… I mused along with another sip of coffee. Maybe I should just go sneak into an abandoned theater or bust up an old car with a baseball bat.

The baseball bat idea sounded pretty good… but with my super-strength it really didn't count as normal. Maybe I could just buy a secondhand guitar and play on the street? Whatever it was, it had to be derivative from my norm.

I bumped into someone without paying attention to where I was going, nearly scalding my tongue on the steaming hot tea. "Hey watch out, man." I heard the sound of something hitting the ground and the person I bumped into made a large gasp.

"NO! DAMNIT!" I turned to that person all the way only to catch their back. They knelt to the ground and kept repeating 'no' a bit too much for it to not get annoying. Weird thing I noticed first was the tie-dye hoodie drawing my attention. From the voice and body structure I could tell it was a dude. Besides the hoodie the rest of his clothes were normal. Just some jeans and white sneakers. His hair was kinda shaped a bit like a small mohawk, but he still had hair on the sides. Plus he was black too. I kept hearing a weird noise that was also getting on my nerves. Like a small boom that had to come from some kinda device.

"Oh my GOD! BITCH! I WAS SO CLOSE!" He was holding an iPod in his hands and made a big gasp.

I shrugged and took another pull on my tea. "Well, damn son. Try getting a real hobby and maybe you won't suffer such _crushing_ disappointment."

He just looked at me with his eyebrow twitching. "Have you played Geometry Dash before?"

"I don't waste my time with amateur games. Come talk to me when you play HH." I made to walk away, hell maybe launch away. This guy was the confrontation I _wasn't_ looking for.

Sad to say it wasn't as easy to get away as I thought because he was running right back up, holding his iPod out.

"No, no, no, no, no, good sir! You don't get it! First of all the shit isn't for amateurs! Not at all! Maybe at first when when you keep going to the next level after it gets hard as fuck! And when you die you gotta start all the way the fuck over! I was FINALLY getting through ClutterFunk, I call that shit 'Cluster Fuck' 'cause that's what it is and then...my god! WHY!? It'll be forever to get through! I was at 99%! Can you at least say sorry!?"

"Sorry… that you waste your time on such a sad game." I made a face and sipped my tea.

He gave me a deadpanned expression. "You seriously couldn't just say sorry and leave it there?"

"I always have to have the last word," I explained as I drank more steaming tea. "Plus I had a really shit day yesterday and I'm not in the mood to apologize."

"Sorry. It's not that hard. One damn word is all I'm asking for. You're just giving me an attitude just because." He placed his free hand on his hip and cocked his head to the opposite side. He furrowed his brows and smiled. "C'mon. Say it wit' me now."

"Sorry… that you a fuccboi." He glared and I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Sorry, sorry. I formally apologize for interrupting your game."

He tilted his head backwards facing the sky. He took a deep inhale through his nose and exhaled after holding his breath for a few seconds. His head tilted back down and he placed a hand on his forehead. "If I wanted to go to the fuckin' ghetto I could'a gone to Detroit." He said with underlying irritation before he placed his iPod in his pocket and looked at me with another smile. "Thank you! Geez. That's all I wanted. And _I'm _sorry that I bumped into you too." I nodded and drank more tea. I was starting to get the appeal… it was calming _and_ tasty.

"So…" I looked him over and narrowed my eyes. "You're a conduit huh." It would be my luck. I only get one normal person a day.

He blinked and rose an eyebrow. "What? Why would you think that? I just met you… my god. Is it because of the hoodie? Please don't say it is. I just like tye-dye, okay!?" He sounded really defensive about that hoodie. But on a "normal" basis… that's not normal. His own eyes narrowed. "And it _doesn't _make me look gay, in case you would think that."

"What? No, dude, I hang out with gay people all the time… you don't dress like any of them." A light came into my eyes at the thought of clocking Ed a good one. "But nevermind that. And no, it's the way you carry yourself. Sort of careless, like nothing at all can hurt you."

He just laughed a bit and shook his head. "Oh no. After I learned how to fight from a few of my friends I felt a lot more comfortable just feeling careless. I know I can defend myself." He placed a thumb to his chest and kept smiling. "But you're right. I do got's me some epic powers. You got powers too?" He gasped and stepped back before rubbing his head. "Shit, sorry. Never told you my name. I'm Ryle. Who are you exactly?"

"Vince." I shrugged and waved my hand. "I'm alright. I wouldn't say awesome until I can punch that stupid bear into the fucking concrete…. and you wouldn't happen to know a Penny, Kanisha, Kayn, Cipher, and or Dekker would you?" Why did I keep running into these people? Who the fuck _were_ these people? He gave a yelp and stepped back again with wide eyes. Aw, shit. Of course he'd know them. So that must mean _this _is the Ryle that Dekker was talking about before.

"T-those is all my-okay, not _all _of them. But still! SOME of my friends! And you know my bear, too!? That's so awesome! Wait a minute, I didn't know Kayn and Kanisha were here. That seems like a plus for Dekker I guess. He's always been trying to get with Kanisha. Been awhile since those two hooked up. I bet Ci's wondering where I am but I'm sure I'll run into him eventually again. Now if only we can get back to Lamont and Orion."

"Great, there's more of you psychopaths. I can't handle the bear… and the bear's got nothing on the dust guy. What do you do, atomize everything you touch?"

He raised a hand and shook it as well as his head. "Aww, Dekker's not so bad when you get to know him. I'm sure if you two just patch things up with a talk or two you might….you know what? Never mind. If you're both fighting then...wow. Okay. I'll talk to him later. With that atomize thing Cipher's the only one with that Particle Style. Lucky bastard gets to afford to do the handsigns and everything. I can use color."

I fingered the fringe of my vest and looked up from the industrial yellow. The holes were now patched and you couldn't tell the difference. "Oh so you're a rip of my girfriend. Cool."

"I'm no rip! And you're girlfriend? Wait… she has the same powers as me? I thought I'd never find another Color conduit. But I'm sure she doesn't have my own kinda powers. How many colors can she use?" He said bringing his head back to it's natural position on his shoulders.

"All of them. It used to be just ink but I guess now she can even rip the pigment off your skin and make you all see-through." I shuddered to think about that… that would be hella freaky.

His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. "ALL of them!? No way! How can she...but...whoa! What do you mean about ink? What's that got to do with anything? You just said she had my powers, right?"

"Well yeah, she does _now_. Her original power was ink and still is, I think… but now she can absorb colors and use those. Not sure how it translates, entirely."

He gave a few blinks and nodded. "Ohhhhh. So she _doesn't _have my powers. She uses ink and just takes colors instead? Phew. You scared the hell outta me with that. Nice to know I wasn't being shown up by someone with my own power. So since her power is ink I'm guessing it's a 'drainable' power and now she doesn't need just ink anymore?"

"Yeah… Hey, about you guys who don't drain stuff. Can you overextend yourself or get tired out?" Maybe if Dekker used too many Kamehameha's… yeah right.

"Well yeah, actually. Think of it like fighting hand to hand. You can use up stamina but if you 'exercise' you can fight a lot longer and harder than ever each and every time. I have no idea how long me, Penny, Orion, Lamont and Dekker can fight exactly but I do know that after fighting this OP douchebag months back we can go for days. Cipher is another story entirely. He can go for...I don't know. Fight for weeks?"

"Great." I sighed and tossed my now-empty teacup. "It's not like I wanted to be reasonably strong or anything. It's almost like I need to go on a whole 'nother bullshit adventure just to get new powers. Maybe absorb fifty or sixty blast cores all at once or something."

"Oh, you used one of those too? That's cool. We didn't even know about them until Cipher's dad gave him one and said there were others. But it's not like he really needed those that much with all the Core Relays and all the dust he kept absorbing in mass quantities. What are your powers anyway?" He asked curiously deciding to lean up against a wall.

"Metal, molten and sand… well, it's not sand so much as metal filings. _Sharp_ metal filings, that are black."

He smirked. "Sooo... basically you're a metal bender, a lava bender and can do Kazekage shit. That's kinda cool. At least I think so. Since you've run into Cipher than he must've said you're powers were whack or something, right? He's always had this grudge about 'overused abilities'. Don't take it personally."

"Overused? Pfft, at least I'm not an OP housemaid," I said with a shrug. "I mean, dust? Come on. That's almost as bad as sleep."

Ryle shook his head slowly and gave me the straightest face. "Even without Particle Style he will fuck you up. Don't… underestimate that guy. The fact that he's not.. uh, how he used to be before he got powers makes him even more dangerous. Like… you ever hear Eminem's song, 'Insane'?"

"Oh I know he's crazy… Celia said something about him. He's got a split personality?" I raised my eyebrow and stuffed my hands into my pockets. I didn't expect him to adopt a concerned look as he pushed off the wall with his eyebrows furrowed.

"What!? The fuck you mean Celia!? You mean that paper bitch that Penny fought and beat!? Why is she here!? And you know about Zero too. She _told _you!?"

"Okay one thing at a time, damn. Soundin' like a valley girl on crack. Yes, that paper bitch, Penny beat her? I don't think she'd win the rematch. She's here because Augustine, who by the way we're going to free from prison, and yes she told me."

"DA' FUCK!?"

A frown crossed my face. "Yeah, my reaction too."

He rose a hand near his face and gave several short chopping motions with some of his words.

"_Why_… the _fuck_.. would you or whoever the hell you're with _do _that!? All the shit she's done!?" She put his hand down and turned around while rubbing his head. "I'm pissed...I know the others will be too! Cipher finds out Celia's here _and _you guys are trying to bust out Augustine," he looked back to me, "Celia and maybe some of you might...look. I'ma be all the way hundred with you. Niggas gonna die. Then _Zero _gets thrown into the mix niggas gon' die fifteen times over and it'll be very bloody with guts and bones everywhere. And he'll be eating them. Literally. Eating them." He shakes his head. "I'm not fucking around. I've seen it. Ripped out a dude eye and swallowed that bitch. It was nasty as fuck."

"Okay, gross. and you think _I _wanna bust her out? I was in there for like six months, man." I frowned and shook my head. "But apparently she can hand Zero's ass back to him like ten times over with her Apex… that, and I feel like there's something Alice isn't telling me."

Ryle now looked like he heard the stupidest bullshit in his life as he tried to form a sentence but words wouldn't come out. He finally got around to speaking after five attempts.

"Compared to Ci and Zero, Augustine ain't _shit! _THEY got Apex too AND they got a power _above _Apex!"

"It's like Kurt's just making shit up as he goes along," I said with a curse at the closest thing I'd ever seen to a deity. Hey, do you think he put out more albums in the afterlife? "I fucking hate this."

"You're not the only one. Ugh." He sighed and rubbed a hand through his mohawk. "Alright. I'm pretty sure that he won't find out. Maybe the others won't but I'm just guessing here. Can you at least tell me why this is happening? Who the hell is even with this at all? There's you, then you said something about an Alice. Must be another conduit. Anymore?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled all the bullshit that happened in the past few months including Kessler and my dad, but especially Kessler. That dude was on a whole nother power trip. When I was done Ryle seemed to be having a revelation with himself. I could tell since he kept lifting and dropping his right fist in his left palm.

"That must've been the shit that Tek was telling us about! So this Kessler guy and your dad was the source for those weird disturbances around here. Now it all makes sense. And to help beat this guy you're busting out Augustine. Still sounds like a fucking awful thing to do. Not only that but Ed and Jace is here with Celia. Ci's really not gonna like that. They did try to take him in by holding his mom and brother hostage when they were in the DUP."

"Well they tried killing my gf so I get where he's coming from." I drifted off thinking about Andi, who was probably worried/not worried at the moment…. a hug sounded good right about now.

"Oh, if Cipher didn't go with them Augustine would've killed them too. He gets it the most. I still can't believe he got out of that by himself. Like I said dust is dangerous. Ed was a fucking mess when we found him and Celia was split in half. Jace was just out cold. Though that was all Zero but...still!"

"Jace?" I raised an eyebrow. "Zero KO'd himalayan water guy? Daaamn."

"Cipher told me Zero got behind him and elbowed him in the head. I thought that was… mad weak. Most… delicate conduit… ever." He blinked as he registered what I had just said. "Wait, hima… wait, what?"

"Nothing." I glanced down at my new phone, which had my old sim card… and that video. It would probably be a good idea to head for the mansion at some point if for no other reason than to crash in my room and pretend like outside wasn't a thing. "Yo, sorry to cut this short but if we hang out any longer something incredibly bullshit is about to happen, so I'm gonna dip." I put out my fist for him to bump. He held out his fist and returned the bump.

"Uh, sure. I have no idea what you're talking about but if you gotta go then fine. I need to tell everyone about this anyway. We might even be able to help out some. It's why we're here after all." He removed his fist from mine and took out a cellphone. After messing with it for a bit there were a few beeps and he nodded to something. "Awesome. I can just find Dekker on my own. But I gotta find my team. See ya' around Vince."

"Peace." I launched myself up with molten metal that formed a pillar, not bothering to explain that when powerful conduits hung out together horrible bullshit always happened. Like Ed and Ash's failed date… man, that relationship was going to be hell.

On the upside, my molten metal let me slide up and across buildings like a beast. Damn, that was pretty fucking cool. It only took me fifteen minutes to get back home, and I went in through one of the many windows to avoid the constant crowd of paparazzi. It was like they didn't realize this house was probably the least safe place to be. All that needed to happed was for on accidental rocket to come their way and then boom. Paparazzi splattered all over the concrete.

I managed to avoid everyone, shucked my clothes (except my boxers), then hopped into bed. I just wanted to sleep.

"Vince." Arms snaked around my waist and something soft pressed up against my back. Make that two soft somethings. Maybe sleep would be better like this… who am I kidding. It is better like this.

"Yeah?" I asked as my girlfriend laid her head in the curve of my shoulder and breathed down my neck, making me shiver. "What's up?"

"You're okay, right?" The concern in her voice warmed my heart and made me wonder why exactly I ran away from this. This was where I needed to be.

"I'm fine. Just tired." I rolled over to face Andi with a half-smile as I laid on her chest and turned her into a human pillow. "It's rough sometimes."

"I know," she said as a hand stroked my buzzed hair and I drifted off into sleep on the best pillows ever.


End file.
